With the imminent arrival of the final movie adaptations of the world wide phenomenon of Harry Potter, it is time for the sociological imagination to be cast upon the Wizarding World. Like The Psychology of Harry Potter and The Philosophy of Harry Potter (previously published works with which we have no affiliation), The Sociology of Harry Potter will be a collection of essays examining the series from a disciplinary perspective. Possible topics include but are not limited to: Wizard society, culture, norms, socialization, conformity/deviance, the Wizard criminal justice system, education, stratification, inequality, race, class, gender, sexuality, family, media, medicine, mental health, leisure and recreation, military, government, law and public policy, interpersonal relationships, group relations, prejudice/discrimination, capitalism, work, aging/life course, collective behavior, social movements, emotions, memory, human rights, non-human rights, labour, religion, social aspects of death, dying & bereavement, art and visual culture, environmental issues, body and embodiment, etc.
Prospective contributors should send an Owl to the editors at RavenclawSociology@gmail.com by October 17, 2010 briefly describing their essay idea, what sociological theories and/or literature it would draw on, and indicating whether they have read the books, seen the movies, or enjoyed both. Proposals will be reviewed based on originality, depth of knowledge of the Wizarding World, and grounding in sociological scholarship. Preference will be given to those who have both read the books and seen the movies.
***This project is NOT in association with or authorized by J.K. Rolling, her US or UK publishers, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, the American or British Sociological Associations, or any other official Harry Potter or Sociology related or trade-marked entity.***