Accio Politics

Erin and Adri talk about traditional and non-traditional types of tests in chapter 16, "Through the Trapdoor" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They also talk about how group work is the absolute worst, you guys. Episode 16 will discuss the politics of power in chapter 17, "The Man with Two Faces" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Find us online: Our...

Adri and Erin talk about different types of punishment in chapter 15, "The Forbidden Forest" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They wonder what are acceptable versus unacceptable forms of punishment in the wizarding world. Episode 16 will discuss the politics of testing in chapter 16, "Through the Trapdoor" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Media we'...

Adri and Erin discuss the intricacies of what makes certain objects Contraband in chapter 14, "Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They question what objects are contraband in the wizarding world and why they're given such designations. This episode's featured voicemail comes from Jenna. Episode 15 will discuss the politics of punishment in ch...

Erin and Adri talk about the politics of conspiracy theories and paranoia in chapter 13, "Nicholas Flamel" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They discuss why some people may be more prone to believing in conspiracy theories and how this applies to the characters in Harry Potter. Is everyone at Hogwarts operating under a low-level mode of paranoia? Are we being paranoid? Who...

# 12: The Politics of Desire (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 12) Adri and Erin discuss the politics of desire in chapter 12, "The Mirror of Erised" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They talk about how desire can blind us to our surroundings and how wanting to be seen and heard is perhaps one of the most common desires of them all. This episode's featured e-...

Erin and Adri talk about the politics of organized sports in chapter 11, "Quidditch" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They discuss the social and cultural implications of sports teams and affiliations. They also examine how communities can be made and divided because of sports. This episode's featured e-mail comes from Isa. Episode 12 will discuss the politics of desire in...

Erin and Adri talk about the politics of Friendship in chapter 10, "Halloween" of  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone  by J.K. Rowling. What are the boundaries of friendship? When does a friendship and general good will enables people to take advantage of you? What is a toxic friendship? This episode's featured voicemail comes from Dani from Albuquerque, NM. Episode 11 will discuss the politics...

Erin and Adri talk about the politics of heroism in chapter 9, "The Midnight Duel" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. What is it that makes an action heroic? Is it selfless bravery that makes an action heroic, or is standing up for people regardless of your innermost machinations an act of heroism? This episode's featured e-mail comes from Joan. Episode 10 will discuss the p...

Adri and Erin talk about the politics of pedagogy in chapter 8, "The Potions Master" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They discuss professors Snape and McGonagall and their distinct approaches to teaching. Who is the most effective teacher and why? Is fear a good motivation for students? This episode's featured tweet comes from Francesca. Episode 9 will discuss the politic...

Adri and Erin talk about the politics of communities in chapter 7 "The Sorting Hat" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Are the Hogwarts houses worth it? Is Harry sorted into the right house? What is the criteria for sorting? Is the sorting hat an imperfect algorithm? This episode's featured tweet comes from Elizabeth. Episode 8 will discuss the politics of pedagogy in chapte...

This week, Erin and Adri discuss the politics of charity in chapter 6 "The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-quarters" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Erin discusses her uncomfortable and complicated feelings around the word "charity," while Adri reminisces about all those times her mom volunteered her as tribute (seriously, mom, stop offering my work for free). What i...

Erin and Adri discuss the politics of assimilation in chapter 5 "Diagon Alley" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They discuss the nuances of cultural assimilation and how they pertain to Harry's introduction into the wizarding world. Adri and Erin talk about Hagrid, Gringotts, quidditch, school robes, the entrance to Diagon Alley, and the Leaky Cauldron through the lens of...

Erin and Adri discuss the politics of assigned identity in chapter 4 "The Keeper of Keys" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They talk about what it means for someone to assign identities to people, the discovery that comes with recognizing who you are, and whether or not the messenger has the same importance as the message being delivered. They talk about Hagrid, the Dursle...

In episode 3, Adri and Erin discuss the politics of surveillance in chapter 3 "The Letters from No One" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They untangle the concept of surveillance as a means of policing, watching and tracking, asking questions like, is the trace used to track underage wizards, ethical? Can it be manipulated? How does Uncle Dursley's behavior change once the...

Adri and Erin discuss the politics of child rearing in chapter 2 "The Vanishing Glass" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They talk about the social norms that surround parenting/child rearing, what kind of parents the Dursleys are, the differences of their treatment between Harry and Dudley, and dive deeper into child rearing expectations for non-biological children (does i...

On the first episode of Accio Politics, Adri and Erin tackle the politics of physical appearance in chapter one "The Boy Who Lived" in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. They explore questions such as, why does Vernon Dursley react with derision to the sight of people in cloaks? What's Vernon hiding behind that large mustache of his? How does the physical structure of Privet Dr...