Interesting Links for 23-08-2021

[andrewducker]

On Harry Potter and the British class system

(tags:harrypotter class UK schools )

ASML - The $300B company you probably never heard of (and the future of computers depends on)

(tags:technology computers manufacturing processor )

Comments

[rhythmaning]

"It’s honestly hard for me to not read Gryffindor and Hufflepuff as stand-ins for the UK state schools, Ravenclaw for the private schools, and Slytherin as the public schools."

I'm a product of a [grammar and then comprehensive] school with a four well-established houses (named after enlightenment figures; I was in Birkbeck - I think...) and an Oxbridge education, but I don't recognise the differentiation between "public" and "private" schools this author made.

I *know* this is an irrelvance to the tenor of the piece - well written and thought provoking - but it's really bugging me!

[danieldwilliam]

I think Edinburgh is a pretty good example of what the difference is.

There are lots of private schools in Edinburgh (Watsons, Heriots, Stew Mels etc) but Fettes is a Public School.

Lots of folks go to the private schools, I know quite a few and I know quite a few kids who go there. I don't know anyone at Fettes (except Tony, of course.)

[rhythmaning]

So what's the distinction between the two types?

How does Fettes differ from the others?

[danieldwilliam]

The fees for Fettes are three times those for Heriots and I think Fettes would be disappointed if one their former pupils wasn't in the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet.

[matgb]

In England, the traditional split is either regulated by the 1880s Act or members of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference, which is ~300 schools, like Daniel said there are loads of private schools, but a Public School knows it's a Public School

There isn't one clear definition (and I've zero clue about Scotland here), but there's definitely a class thing involved

[captainsblog]

Please, when one of these links points to something really really good wot you wrote yourself? Say so. I am so glad I didn't slide by this one.

Still trying to figure out how to fit JKR's later turn into a TERF into this comparison.

(Oh, and happy belated birthday, btw:)

[calimac]

They would use words like “loo” and “napkin” rather than “toilet” or “serviette”.

This distinction between the (old, and not necessarily wealthy) upper class and others demonstrates how totally detached American usage is from this. Americans say toilet (among other words), but loo is rare here; but on the other hand, napkin is the only American word for it. I cannot imagine an American saying serviette, and if one did, it would be laughed at, in the unlikely event that anyone listening even knew what the word referred to; and it would be perceived, not as lower-class, but as unbearably pretentious, probably because it sounds French.

[andrewducker]

If you've never encountered it before then I can recommend "Watching the English". Which is an anthropological study of the English, and fascinating.