Cultural Systems in Taha Hussein's Wednesday Talk: The Social System as a Model

Abstract

The social system is an active and influential element in literary and intellectual production. Cultural expression is subject to hidden social influences governed by societal traditions and norms. This makes literature a reflection of power relations and interactions within the system. A society may, at a given time, suffer from extreme dependence on inherited customs and traditions, leading to intellectual, cultural, and social stagnation.  This research aims to study (cultural systems in the book - Wednesday Talk - by Taha Hussein, the social system as a model), showing how the writer confronted a conservative society and sought to break its constants and present new open visions, tracing the transformations of society towards renewal. It shows how some poets faced systemic resistance due to their renewal and opposition to the familiar, but they were able to leave a clear impact. It also highlights the role of the intellectual as an individual who is both a producer and a recipient, who interacts with societal pressure, and may resist it or reshape it. This study adopts the cultural criticism approach and is divided into two main sections. The first explores the social dimensions in the relationship between literature and society, through an examination of Taha Hussein’s perspectives on individuals and communities across different stages. The second focuses on the poet within social structures: image and position, clarifying the poet’s role within his society and how these images reflected dynamics of power, rejection, and inclusion.