日記87 : Raising Hands

I heard that raising a hand is avoided in Western countries because it can remind people of the Nazi salute. However, after a quick search, I found that this gesture still exists in some cultures.

In Japan, the scene where Hermione raises her hand straight up in Harry Potter is well known. However, the movie is already more than 20 years old, and the world’s values may have been greatly changing since then. Regardless of the validity of banning the gesture, I think Japanese culture is not very sensitive to that image.

While researching this topic, I found that some people believe the practice of raising hands in classrooms has some issues. They argue that it doesn’t always improve students’ study efficiency and that it’s problematic when only active and outgoing students dominate the discussion.