The Sorting Hat, the House Cup, and institutionalised injustice

[Rebecca Martin]

No: HPFGUIDX 47885

Ive looked through the archives, but I cant see
anything that has dealt with this issue before. My
apologies if Ive missed anything  this is my first
post.

There has been some debate about why Slytherin House
has been allowed to continue, given that the majority
of dark wizards come from there. Certainly being a
Slytherin does not automatically mean that you are
evil, but it does indicate a penchant for power and a
willingness to prioritise personal goals and welfare
over others. The leading theory seems to be that it
is to teach and guide these potentially dangerous
wizards to positive paths, but I dont see much
evidence of this guidance in canon (indeed, as Head of
House Snape should be the most careful, and he
introduces his first Slytherin class to potions with
promises of brewing fame  dangerous words to an
ambitious bunch!). Indeed, there seems to be very
little discussion of magical responsibility built into
the curriculum. Theres Care of Magical Creatures 
but theres no discussion of the morality of
transfiguring a pig into a desk, and how the pig might
feel about that. Its not magical, so it doesnt
matter? Theres Muggle Studies, but that doesnt seem
to contain any component of responsibility to a weaker
people, and the MOM certainly seems to be fairly free
with memory charms to protect itself from discovery
from the MW. Even DADA only identifies and forbids
certain spells (thereby implying that anything else is
OK), it doesnt delve into the philosophy of magic, or
give students any way to evaluate for themselves what
qualifies as a dark use of power in any situation.
Theres plenty of *rules*, but there are no *morals*
taught. I belabour this only to make it clear that
this is a problem with the Hogwarts system, not just
Slytherin. 

In fact, far from positive moral guidance, I believe
there is an institutional unfairness that makes the
negative traits of Slytherins more likely to flourish.


The Sorting Hat is a great idea. It allows children to
interact with those who have interests and attitudes
similar to their own, maximising their potential to
make friends and enabling staff to adjust their
teaching style based on the strengths/needs of the
group they are teaching. (Im not sure if this does
happen at Hogwarts, but the opportunity is certainly
there). 

When you add the House Cup, however, problems arise.
Lets forget for a moment the unfairness of a system
which means that the strengths of Hufflepuff are the
least often tested, therefore making them the
perpetual last-place-holders. Slytherins, whose
natural ambition needs so desperately to be channelled
into positive outlets, are faced with the House Cup,
which has to be more significant to a group bound by
their need for greatness than to groups bound by ties
of loyalty (Hufflepuff), intelligence (Ravenclaw), or
bravery (Gryffindor). Again and again we see them
cheat to gain points, or to discredit others and cause
them to lose points  and what is created is
us-against-them. Slytherins against the rest of the
Hogwarts population, who cheer just as hard for
Gryffindors win as they would for their own, just so
long as it isnt Slytherin. Its a classic
ingroup/outgroup phenomenon.

So what recourse is left to Slytherins than to band
amongst themselves and to use whatever means necessary
to gain the respect they so desperately crave, by
intimidation and manipulation when other options are
denied to them? Most minority groups find that there
is some internalisation of the discrimination they are
faced with. Maybe its the system that makes
Slytherins evil as much as their innate tendencies.
Certainly there doesnt seem to be a lot of effort to
encourage and reward positive behaviours  or even an
educational focus on recognising the responsibilities
inherent in power  and an appalling amount of
institutionalised competition, which has to be like
offering single-malt to an alcoholic.

Shaalwyd, 
who would like to make it very clear (in the
light of such a critical first post!) that she would
love to go to Hogwarts, and chooses to major in the
History of Magic, even though it is at a muggle
University.


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