From Here to Hogwarts by Christopher E. Bell

Author:Christopher E. Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2015-12-16T05:00:00+00:00

Unpacking Pottermania

From the information above it is possible to identify three key points about the participants’ particular experiences of Pottermania: the sociability that arises out of engaging with the franchise; the importance of the merchandise; and varying expressions of fandom. Overarching all of these ideas, and irrespective of the level of engagement with the Harry Potter series, is the unquestionable pleasure derived from their experiences.

Sociability

Throughout the group discussion, directly and indirectly, participants noted the social value of Harry Potter in their lives. Gifts, games, shared reading experiences, movie marathons, a shared discourse and fond memories all reveal the various ways in which these individuals encountered Harry Potter. Grandparents, parents and friends become an integral part of the cultural experience through their association with the books, films, games and paraphernalia. Owen thought it was “pretty cool” that his grandmother bought him each book on its release and friendships were cemented when pretending to make a potion from leaves and rose petals. As these members of the Potter Generation mature the sociability of the franchise persists; being read to by parents gives way to quizzes on Harry Potter minutiae during lunch breaks, and coveting a childhood friend’s Lego set is forgotten in favor of sharing personal recollections about running like Hermione as a youngster and laughing about it with newly-made friends. Even being part of a group discussion on Harry Potter for research purposes extends the franchise’s interpersonal aspect. Although this group had studied together for eleven months, they learned still more about each other in regards to their fandom and, through the intimacy of a shared text, deepened those ties that come with being part of a community.

The examples the participants shared point to what Buckingham & Sefton-Green describe as the “portability and flexibility” (2004, p. 22) of fandom. Their exemplar is Pokémon, but the ideas translate to the Harry Potter phenomenon too. The pleasure of the text lies in its complex detail. Fans search for clues and connections within and across the books, identify omissions in the film adaptations and engage with the Potter universe online. All of this potential for rewarding engagement with the franchise leads to longevity—the franchise satisfies continual investment and consequently fans commit, ensuring the franchise doesn’t decline into a passing fad. In turn, the knowledge collected and committed to memory can be used to connect with a community of like-minded people. The different platforms (for example, toys, books, films, websites, and PlayStation games) and types of content (Rowling’s books, film adaptations, wikis online, interpersonal discourse) give the franchise portability and flexibility which enables the fan to use the material variously; for short or long periods of time, with or without companions, fitting it into their everyday lives (Buckingham & Sefton-Green, 2004, p. 23). This integration into the fabric of everyday life over a long period of time has made Harry Potter a “natural part” of the Potter Generation’s lives.

Cook’s concept of enculturation is helpful here to further tease out the social value of Harry Potter to this group.

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