Identifying with Muggles in Potterverse WAS: Re: DD at th...

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 158217

> Hogwarts, unfortunately, concentrates pretty solely on the 
> pragmatic.  Which has its place, of course.  But it cannot replace 
> the Humanities. Or the Sciences for that matter.  (Harry doesn't 
> take a single math type class.  That's just as horrifying as the 
> lack of literature, art and music, IMO.)

Quick_Silver: I agree that Hogwart's focus on the pragmatic is 
unfortunate (to me the biggest failing is the joke that's called 
History of Magic). The Sciences are an interesting topic however 
especially since JK and Hermione stated that technology
specifically 
computers, radar, and (correct me if I'm wrong) electricity don't 
work around heavy concentrations of magic (like Hogwarts). So I 
don't think that the Sciences have the same "cross-over" value as 
the Humanities (Human is right there in the name!) or Math (which I 
agree the wizards suffer a lack of
maybe JK too) or History for that 
matter. 
 
> I wonder if it has to do with when the WW went into hiding.  Did 
> they hide before the Renaissance?  It would go along way towards 
> explaining the darkness of their world.

Quick_Silver: I got the impression from Quidditch though the Ages 
that the wizarding retreat was more gradual then a schism. A lot 
people seem to have this view that the Statue of Secrecy was a huge 
change forcing massive social changes on wizarding society but the 
impression I got was that it was simply the formal declaration of 
something that appears to have been ongoing for at least three 
hundred years. 

> > >>Ken:
> > Some aruge that the WW is too small to make a large 
cultural      
> > contribution, does that not argue all the more for embracing 
the   
> > common human cultural heritage?
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Exactly.  That's the saddest thing, to my mind.  That these solid 
> English families have no idea about Shakespeare, for example.  
Have 
> no clue about the many contributions their nation has made to the 
> world.  And they don't have the equivilant.  (Honestly, how could 
> they?)  Certainly, *they* don't know what they're missing, but it 
> makes me sad for them.

Quick_Silver: But doesn't that become Patronizing to their culture? 
I mean you speak of the contribution that "their" nation has made to 
the world but they would argue that muggle England has made many 
contributions to the muggle world. This seems like a "cultural" 
minefield for me because it seem to me that you're saying that 
Hogwarts should basically be teaching the wizards something that 
will help them be assimilated into the muggle world. 

> Personally, I'll bet that some wizards (the braver sort) do wander 
> into concert halls and Muggle museums. (I think JKR does hint 
about 
> that.)  It's just too bad that they don't see this sort of thing 
as 
> important enough to share with their children.

Quick_Silver: Actually I find this interesting because it means that 
the "muggle-cultured" wizard will be one with the daring and effort. 
And they'll do it on there own time and because they want to not 
because it's a school course. Which really isn't all that bad in my 
mind
exploring on one's own will is always more rewarding (at least 
in my opinion). I've learned more history reading books for pleasure 
and on my own time then I ever did at school. I'm pretty sure that 
Dumbledore likes concert hall and tin pin bowling (isn't that on his 
chocolate frog card?)
those hardly seem like wizarding activities 
maybe he's the one you're thinking of?

> Betsy Hp:
> Except, Hermione is frozen at an eleven year old's level.  Well, 
> knowing Hermione, maybe a fifteen year old's level.  She's been 
busy 
> studying magical stuff and doing her best to ignore (it appears) 
the 
> Muggle world.  It makes sense, this is her world now, and it's all 
> very new and fascinating.  But it comes at a high cost.  Hermione 
> will not be able to go home again.  Her Muggle relatives will 
think 
> her sadly uneducated, and her cultural knowledge will be badly 
> (especially for Hermione) limited.  

Quick_Silver: But that's totally subjective
her muggle relatives 
will be thought sadly uneducated by her and they'll be culturally 
limited in her view (them having never seen the Quidditch world cup 
or heard the name of the boy who lived). 

Quick_Silver