Assigned 14th November, 1892

"Your task," she directed from where she stood in the Great Hall, "will be to craft an essay on the role of the social hierarchy."

It was only the second week of etiquette instruction, and she had begun her day with a lecture to the entire student population; small group classes had their place, but so did creatures such as this.

"It should be no less than twelve inches in length, and I will expect evidence of attention to today's lecture. You will have a fortnight to complete the task."

OOC Deadline: January 31st, 2023
OOC Parameters: I'll multiply your word count by 10 to get your character's word count, assuming 12 inches is about 500 words (50 from you). 
Posting Directions: Reply to this thread!
House Points: -5 to +15, depending on what Euphemia thinks of your work :P

  

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— set by mj ♡ —

         

On the Purpose of the Social Hierarchy
E. Urquart

In ancient Egypt, it was believed that the gods gave each individual their role in life. To try to circumvent one's place within society would be to imply that the gods had been wrong, an entirely hubristic folly. Knowing one's place would give one a sense of security, of certainty, of confidence in their actions.

While I do not believe that some eagle-headed man-god existed, never mind put anyone upon the planet, ancient Egyptians were very much correct in this regard: the role of the social hierarchy is to solidify one's place in the world. The roles that our society has created are all important, in their own way: the landowner supplies the land, the farmer tends it; the chimney sweep keeps the auror's floo in safe condition, that he might protect society as a whole.

It is when those whose labour keeps the wheel of progress turning try to cast aside these roles that society runs into problems and risks collapse—one need only observe what happened in France to see the dangers in such things. Indeed, one might argue that contemporary magical society is not rigid enough, particularly with the number of tragedies that have befallen us in recent decades, though I leave further examination of that topic to the experts.

(I, too, know my role.)

[Continues on in this fashion.]

  

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— Elijah has heterochromia. His right eye is green and his left is blue. —

— MJ is a graphics goddess ❤ —

Though Maddy had not been so bold as to fall asleep during the lecture, as soon as she realized that this Forsyte lady was just there to reaffirm that she should not be on a broomstick and was probably only good for getting married and popping out babies, she did rather...zone out a bit. As such, her efforts on the assignment were vague later, especially given that she doubted she agreed with the instructor's own views.

The Role of the Social Hierarchy by Madline Bell

Society often divides people based on those who came before them: if you're a girl, your mother's role will inform your own, and regardless of your sex, your father's fortunes will set you up for success or failure as the case may be. Society likes to place people in neat boxes so as to know what to do with them and crafts rules to help keep them there. It is rather a boring system, if one thinks about it, lacking both in creativity and nuance.

  

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— Bree is a graphics genius ♡ —

Calla had found she was not particularly fond of the new etiquette instructor. In theory, she didn't have a problem with etiquette as a concept. Being polite rarely hurt. She found it was the stuff society version she had issues with and often flounced. But she, like any student, knew the consequence for actually voicing her opinion would be negative house points, so she wrote as close as she could bring herself to what she thought Madam Forsyte wanted.

The Role of the Social Hierarchy by Calla Potts

We live in a society where everyone has a role or a job. Some people are highly educated and work as professors, in the ministry, or in hospitals. While others work in storefronts, shops, and homes. And for every shop or store, there is someone who owns it. Sometimes, the workers and owners are the same people as in with my family's store, other times they are separate. Further, some choose not to work and focus their lives around their families.

However, regardless of the amount of education, money, or luxury granted to a particular role each of these people holds inherent value. We need healers, potion makers, and mothers just as much as there is a need for the assistant in the robe store or the woman who cleans. There is not one role society could function without. Not one role or place within society makes one person inherently better than another but rather we are all equals each fulfilling a valuable role in society.

  

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look at the pretties mj made me!!!

Cad had thought the lecture to be rather interesting. The fact that is largely tallied with his world view was no small coincidence.

Society is ordered by gender and class. Cecil Frances Alexander's hymn, 'all things bright and beautiful' tell everything we ought to know about the role of the social hierarchy:
'The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.'
God has made us as we are and determined our position in the social hierarchy. God created the social hierarchy, and placed everyone within it. Therefore, anyone seeking to upset the social hierarchy is seeking to refute the work of god.
The increasingly fluidity of society, is a sign that we are straying from the models of society that have kept societies stable for a millenia. The fall of Rome is attributed to greater levels of class fluidity, and the rise of men beyond the class of their birth. Romulus Augustulus for example raised many of his senior generals from the non-citizen classes and these were blamed for the poor decision making and advice that led to the end of the political entity of ancient Rome.*

The role of social class in society includes the value of the various social positions we are all predestined to hold. The labour of the working classes is valuable and noble, and therefore Godly. There is also an expectation that those in the upper echelons of society must bear greater social responsibility for the care and stewardships of society.

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*This isn't historically true, it is what the Victorians believed.

  

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Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!