Harry Potter: The University Degree. - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Dave · 29th January 2002, 02:33 PM

The University of Alberta, Canada, is offering this English degree course:

http://www.ualberta.ca/~englishd/eng487.htm

English 487: FURTHER STUDIES IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Harry Potter and "The Watchful Dragons": Moral and Social Values in Fantasy Literature for Children
Section B1: TR 1400-1520

Prerequisite: 6 credits of junior English and 12 credits of senior-level English, 6 credits of which must be at the 300 level.
Note: variable content course which may be repeated.

R. Jones

The unparalleled commercial success of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels has shown that even in the age of television, movies, and video games, books play an important role in popular culture. Although many adults have enthusiastically embraced Harry Potter, some fundamentalist religious groups have tried to ban or suppress these novels. The opponents of the Harry Potter novels claim that they promote witchcraft because they portray it in a positive light and that they foster disrespect in children because they satirize conventional adults as non-magical "Muggles." Supporters of the series counter that these novels are actually highly moral stories that dramatize a never-ending battle between good and evil.

To understand attitudes to Rowling's novels, as well as the novels themselves, this course will place them in a tradition of fantasies for children and of the debates such fantasies have generated. It will explore how, in an image developed by C.S Lewis, both a fantasist and Christian proselytizer, fantasies slip lessons past the watchful dragons that reject overt didacticism. We will examine how fantasy portrays impossible worlds, characters, or events, yet develops themes about emotional, social, psychological, ethical, and religious values that children, and adults, can apply to life in the mundane world. We will be particularly concerned with the moral and social implications of the archetypal characters who are the locus of the current debate, witches and wizards, but we will also focus on the roles of adults, whether magical or not, in shaping a discourse about behaviour.

TEXTS
J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
__. Harry Potter and the Chamber or Secrets
__. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
__. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Additional texts will be announced later.

Sinistra · 29th January 2002, 04:50 PM

thanks Dave

Euterpe · 29th January 2002, 06:24 PM

Thats Awesome!

The english class I almost took had Book 1 as one of the textbooks...dang it

Dave · 29th January 2002, 07:39 PM

I like the:

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave
Additional texts will be announced later.

or, as they are written. <g>

Euterpe · 29th January 2002, 09:04 PM

LOL I thought that too....just give it time

Bayleaf48 · 20th August 2002, 09:28 AM

Sounds very good indeed Dave

29th January 2002, 02:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dave Wherever I Am, I'm There Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greater London Posts: 11,531	Harry Potter: The University Degree. The University of Alberta, Canada, is offering this English degree course: http://www.ualberta.ca/~englishd/eng487.htm English 487: FURTHER STUDIES IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Harry Potter and "The Watchful Dragons": Moral and Social Values in Fantasy Literature for Children Section B1: TR 1400-1520 Prerequisite: 6 credits of junior English and 12 credits of senior-level English, 6 credits of which must be at the 300 level. Note: variable content course which may be repeated. R. Jones The unparalleled commercial success of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels has shown that even in the age of television, movies, and video games, books play an important role in popular culture. Although many adults have enthusiastically embraced Harry Potter, some fundamentalist religious groups have tried to ban or suppress these novels. The opponents of the Harry Potter novels claim that they promote witchcraft because they portray it in a positive light and that they foster disrespect in children because they satirize conventional adults as non-magical "Muggles." Supporters of the series counter that these novels are actually highly moral stories that dramatize a never-ending battle between good and evil. To understand attitudes to Rowling's novels, as well as the novels themselves, this course will place them in a tradition of fantasies for children and of the debates such fantasies have generated. It will explore how, in an image developed by C.S Lewis, both a fantasist and Christian proselytizer, fantasies slip lessons past the watchful dragons that reject overt didacticism. We will examine how fantasy portrays impossible worlds, characters, or events, yet develops themes about emotional, social, psychological, ethical, and religious values that children, and adults, can apply to life in the mundane world. We will be particularly concerned with the moral and social implications of the archetypal characters who are the locus of the current debate, witches and wizards, but we will also focus on the roles of adults, whether magical or not, in shaping a discourse about behaviour. TEXTS J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone __. Harry Potter and the Chamber or Secrets __. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban __. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Additional texts will be announced later.

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29th January 2002, 04:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Sinistra Lurking in the Shadows Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Lancashire Posts: 3,250	thanks Dave

29th January 2002, 06:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Euterpe T Y O P I S T Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: The Raimi's home state! Posts: 522	Thats Awesome! The english class I almost took had Book 1 as one of the textbooks...dang it

29th January 2002, 09:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Euterpe T Y O P I S T Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: The Raimi's home state! Posts: 522	LOL I thought that too....just give it time

20th August 2002, 09:28 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bayleaf48 Hero Of Time Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Barnstaple, North Devon Posts: 3,126	Sounds very good indeed Dave