The new essays in this book make two central claims. First, for some people, the word ""feminist"" has been either poorly defined or, in some cases, even demonized. Hermione Granger, of the Harry Potter series, serves as an outstanding example of what modern young feminism looks like: activist, powerful and full of agency, yet feminine, romantic and stylish--a new kind of feminism for a new kind of girl. The second claim the essays make is that our young, emergent feminist Hermione Granger is a pivotal character upon whom the entire series rests--not Harry Potter himself (or, at least, not Harry Potter solely). It is Hermione who solves every difficult puzzle, performs every difficult spell, and to whom her two male companions look for guidance and advice. Quite literally, on several occasions throughout the series, Hermione Granger saves the world through her actions. This is an outstanding model for young women (and for young men as well) who are confused about how feminism manifests and operates in 2012.

Much has been written about the Walt Disney Company's productions, but the focus has largely been on animation and feature film created by Disney. In this essay collection, the attention is turned to The Disney Channel and the programs it presents for a largely tween audience. Since its emergence as a market category in the 1980s, the tween demographic has commanded purchasing power and cultural influence, and the impressionability and social development of the age group makes it an important range of people to study. Presenting both a groundbreaking view of The Disney Channel's programming by the numbers and a deep focus on many of the best-known programs and characters of the 2000s--shows like The Wizards of Waverly Place, That's So Raven and Hannah Montana--this collection asks the simple questions, "What does The Disney Channel Universe look and sound like? Who are the stories about? Who matters on The Disney Channel?

Harry Potter has given the critical study of popular culture quite an extraordinary platform for exploring the nature of human identity across cultures and around the world. Potter Studies is rapidly developing into a vibrant, interdisciplinary collection of scholars from a wide range of university and non-university environments. This intersection, between the multidisciplinary study of identity and Harry Potter as a cultural artifact is where this collected volume finds its home. Issues surrounding race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and personal virtue, both in the wizarding world and in our own real world, are introduced and examined here. The ways in which these issues manifest in the practices of fans, fandom cultures, and real-world schools and businesses are also interrogated. Ultimately, this collection of essays should provide an extensive and varied array of meanings, contexts, and connections to and/or around identity issues for both scholars and non-scholars who can see our world mirrored in that of Harry Potter.

The social relations, societal structures and existential conundrums in the world of the Harry Potter novels reflect our own. When the authoritarianism of Hogwarts falls upon Harry, it is an echo of disciplinary practices in real-world high schools. The economic inequities of the wizarding world mirror those of modern societies. The art, literature and mass media of wizard society reveal our own deep-rooted fears. Harry's world is our world. This collection presents new essays by contributors across a range of disciplines, bringing fresh perspectives on one of the most influential texts in modern history.

Scholars all over the world recognize the importance of Harry Potter as a vehicle for discussions about society, from race relations and gender studies to economic, political, religious, and educational implications for and applications of the texts. This new, interdisciplinary collection of essays from one of the world's leading Harry Potter scholars brings to the forefront a deep critique of modern Western society, using Harry Potter's world as a mirror to our own. Covering issues surrounding parenting and family relations, social class, life and death, the risks of time travel, and the link between identity and morality, this collection provides a multitude of jumping-off points for scholars and non-scholars alike to spark discussion and kindle thoughts about both Harry's world and our own.

Transmediation-the telling of a single story across multiple media platforms-is a relatively new phenomenon. While there has been adaptation-books to films, for example-for more than a century, modern technology and media consumption have has expanded the scope of transmediating practices. Nowhere are these more evident than within the Harry Potter universe, where a coherent world and narrative are iterated across, books, films, video games, fan fiction, art, music and more. Curated by a leading Harry Potter scholar, this collection of new essays explores the range of Potter texts across a variety of media.