HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship that examines American literature,
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
,
society A society is a Social group, group of individuals involved in persistent Social relation, social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same Politics, political authority an ...
, and
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...
. It traditionally incorporates literary criticism,
historiography Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...
and
critical theory A critical theory is any approach to social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to reveal, critique and challenge power structures. With roots in sociology and literary criticism, it argues that social problems stem more from s ...
. Scholarship in American studies focuses on the United States. In the past decades, however, it has also broadened to include Atlantic history and interactions with countries across the globe. Subjects studied within the field are varied, but often examine the literary themes, histories of American communities, ideologies, or cultural productions. Examples might include topics in American social movements, literature, media, tourism, folklore, and intellectual history. Fields studying specific American ethnic or racial groups are considered to be both independent of and included within the broader American studies discipline. This includes European American studies, African American studies, Latino studies, Asian American studies, American Indian studies, and others.


Founding notions

Vernon Louis Parrington is often cited as the founder of American studies for his three-volume ''Main Currents in American Thought'', which combines the methodologies of literary criticism and historical research; it won the 1928 Pulitzer Prize. In the introduction to ''Main Currents in American Thought'', Parrington described his field: The "broad path" that Parrington describes formed a scholastic course of study for Henry Nash Smith, who received a PhD from Harvard's interdisciplinary program in history and American civilization in 1940, setting an academic precedent for present-day American studies programs. The first signature methodology of American studies was the " myth and symbol" approach, developed in such foundational texts as Henry Nash Smith's ''Virgin Land'' in 1950 and
Leo Marx Leo Marx (November 15, 1919 – March 8, 2022) was an American historian, literary critic, and educator. He was Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is known for his works in the fiel ...
's '' The Machine in the Garden'' in 1964. Myth and symbol scholars claimed to find certain recurring themes throughout American texts that served to illuminate a unique American culture. Later scholars such as
Annette Kolodny Annette Kolodny (August 21, 1941 – September 11, 2019) was an American feminist literary critic and activist, held the position of College of Humanities Professor Emerita of American Literature and Culture at the University of Arizona in Tucs ...
and Alan Trachtenberg re-imagined the myth and symbol approach in light of multicultural studies. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, these earlier approaches were criticized for continuing to promote the idea of American exceptionalism—the notion that the US has had a special mission and virtue that makes it unique among nations. Several generations of American studies scholars moved away from purely ethnocentric views, emphasizing transnational issues surrounding race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, among other topics. But recent studies critique the exceptionalist nature of the transnational turn. "The transnational turn has positioned American Studies in a nationalist rut", observes Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera, in ''After American Studies: Rethinking the Legacies of Transnational Exceptionalism'': Institutionally, in the last decade the American Studies Association has reflected the interdisciplinary nature of the field, creating strong connections to ethnic studies, gender studies, cultural studies and post- or de-colonial studies. Environmental perspectives, in ascendance in related fields, such as literature and history, have not penetrated the mainstream of American studies scholarship. A major theme of the field in recent years has been internationalization—the recognition that much vital scholarship about the US and its relations to the wider global community has been and is being produced outside the United States.


Debate on use of the term "American"

Until the mid-2000s, the use of "American" for this multidisciplinary field was widely defended. In 1998, Janice Radway argued, "Does the perpetuation of the particular name, 'American,' in the title of the field... support the notion that such a whole exists even in the face of powerful work that tends to question its presumed coherence? Does the field need to be reconfigured conceptually?" She concluded, "the name 'American studies' will have to be retained." In 2001, Wai Chee Dimmock argued that the field "is largely founded on this fateful adjective. American"governs the domain of inquiry we construct, the range of questions we entertain, the kind of evidence we take as significant. The very professionalism of the field rests on the integrity and the legitimacy of this founding concept." In 2002, Heinz Ickstadt argued that American studies "should accept its name as its limitation and its boundary." In 2006, Dimmock affirmed that the field "does stand to be classified apart, as a nameable and adducible unit." More recently, scholars have questioned "American" as a categorizing term. "In consideration of the limitations of conventional terms," Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera argued in 2018, instead of "American," terms like "spaces claimed by the political body" and "residents of spaces claimed by the political body" would offer a "more sensitive and attuned description... of the regions, critical artifacts, communities, and individuals in question, one that is less charged with the ambiguities and colonial ties that weigh down the traditional disciplinary nomenclatures." "The interests of justice and along the lines most suitable to our emergent age," argued Markha Valenta in 2017, scholars should consider "abandoning 'America'" as the field identifier.


Imperial American Studies

"One of the central themes of American historiography," argued William Appleman Williams, "is that there is no American Empire"" Contesting such assertions has been a central part of the Imperial Turn in the field. Amy Kaplan maintained that "an imperial unconscious of national identity" lead to "overseas expansion, conquest, conflict, and resistance which have shaped the cultures of the United States." More recently, scholars have examined how cultural imperialism occurs within the US borders. Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera described the phenomenon as an attempt to transition the "cultural symbols of the invading communities from 'foreign' to 'natural,' 'domestic,'" through three discrete and sequential phases: : :(Herlihy-Mera, Jeffrey. 2018. ''After American Studies: Rethinking the Legacies of Transnational Exceptionalism.'' Routledge. p. 24) While the third phase continues "in perpetuity," the imperial appropriation tends to be "gradual, contested (and continues to be contested), and is by nature incomplete." The Americanization of the continent has been described as a cultural engineering project that strives to "isolate residents within constructed spheres of symbols" such that they (eventually, in some cases after several generations) abandon other cultures and identify with the new symbols. "The broader intended outcome of these interventions might be described as a common recognition of ''possession'' of the land itself."


Outside the United States

Following the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and during the Cold War, the US government promoted the study of the United States in several European countries, helping to endow chairs in universities and institutes in American history, politics and literature in the interests of
cultural diplomacy Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose ...
. Many scholars and governments in Europe also recognized the need to study the US. The field has become especially prominent in Britain and Germany. The
British Association for American Studies The British Association for American Studies is a learned society in the field of American studies. It was founded in 1955. It produces the ''Journal of American Studies'', ''American Studies in Britain'', ''US Studies Online'', BAAS Paperbacks, an ...
was founded in 1955, and is a constituent member of the European Association for American Studies. European centres for American studies include the Center for American Studies in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Belgium, and most notably the John F. Kennedy-Institute for North American Studies in
Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...
, Germany. Other centers for American studies in Germany include the Bavarian America-Academy, the University of Munich, the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) and the Center for North American Studies (Zentrum für Nordamerikaforschung or ZENAF) at Goethe University Frankfurt. Graduate studies in the field of North American studies can also be undertaken at the
University of Cologne The University of Cologne (german: Universität zu Köln) is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1388 and is one of the most prestigious and research intensive universities in Germany. It was the sixth university to ...
, which works together in joint partnership with the North American studies program at the
University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...
. American Studies Leipzig at the
University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...
is a center for American studies on the territory of former
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
. Founded in 1992, the Center for American Studies at the
University of Southern Denmark The University of Southern Denmark ( da, Syddansk Universitet, lit=South Danish University, abbr. SDU) is a university in Denmark that has campuses located in Southern Denmark and on Zealand. The university offers a number of joint programmes i ...
now offers a graduate program in American studies. In the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
the University of Groningen and the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen offer a complete undergraduate and graduate program in American studies. The
University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other bein ...
, the University of Leiden and the University of Utrecht only offer a graduate program in American studies. Both the
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
and the
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...
in England offer both a number of postgraduate and undergraduate programs. In Sweden, the Swedish Institute for North American Studies at
Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance durin ...
offers a minor in American studies. In
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
, the University of Presov and Pavol Jozef Safarik University offer a complete undergraduate and graduate program in American studies combined with British studies. The Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library also offers a range of events and fellowships, as well as promoting the American collections held at the British Library. Russia's main center for American studies is the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
, founded in 1967. In the Middle East, the oldest American Studies program is the American Studies Center at the University of Bahrain in Sakhir. Founded in 1998, the UOB ASC celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2008. Established as a university minor, the ASC currently offers over 20 different courses for students, heralds weekly movies in its ASC Theater, regularly hosts diverse speakers, and sponsors gatherings and excursions for ASC students. There is a new American studies program at the
University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
, Iran. The new program, offered at the Faculty of World Studies, is a multidisciplinary MA program focusing on American culture, politics, history and ethnicity. In Oceania, the
University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...
in Christchurch New Zealand operated a full undergraduate and graduate American studies program until 2012, and in Australia, a postgraduate program in US Studies is run by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. In Canada, the
University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Ruth ...
has the Alberta Institute for American Studies. The
University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...
has a Centre for American Studies that has both an undergraduate and master's program in American studies, with specializations at the graduate level in American Cultural Studies, and Canadian-American Relations.
York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,000 faculty and staf ...
offers an undergraduate program in United States Studies. In China, due to the lack of communication between China and the United States since the communist party took up the power in 1949, the Chinese recognition of the US was still limited to the communist political propaganda of the Cold War at the time when the two countries established the diplomatic relationship. Therefore, since the Sino-US relationship was normalized in 1979, various research centers have been founded within Chinese universities in order to meet up to the needs of understanding the US. Thus, most of the prestigious American studies centers in China established around 1980s, such as American Studies Center ( Beijing Foreign Studies University) in 1979, the Institute of American Studies ( Chinese Academy of Social Science) in 1981, Center for American Studies (
Fudan University Fudan University () is a national public research university in Shanghai, China. Fudan is a member of the C9 League, Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University identified by the Ministry of Education of China. It is ...
) in 1985, American Studies Center ( Peking University) in 1980, Center for American Studies ( Tongji University), American Studies Center (
Sichuan University Sichuan University (SCU) is a national key public research university in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The university is wholly funded by the Ministry of Education. SCU is one of the top universities of China, and a Class A Double First Class Univer ...
) in 1985, Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in 1986, American Social and Cultural Studies Center ( China Foreign Affairs University) and Center for American Studies ( East China Normal University) in 2004. These centers do not have undergraduate programs. Based on the requirement of the curriculum setup of the China Department of Education, these centers only have graduate programs. In addition, there are also scholarly journals, such as ''American Studies Quarterly'', up in 1987 and organized by both the Institute of American Studies of Academy of Social Science and the Chinese Association of American Studies, ''Fudan American Review'' organized by the Center of American Studies of Fudan University. American studies in the US is different from American studies in China. The former focuses more on one aspect, which is "civilization"; and the latter includes almost every aspects of the US, among which the civilization is just a constituent. Take the curriculum in the American Studies program in Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) as an example. The American Studies program in BFSU is not only the oldest one but also the one in which all courses taught in English from the beginning of its founding. To help the students lay a comprehensive and interdisciplinary grounding in American Studies, the current ASC curriculum, made up of 28 courses, centers on three major areas: (1) American government and diplomacy, (2) American society and culture, and (3) American economy and trade. In addition, there have been short courses and seminars offered by guest speakers from home and abroad to broaden the students' horizon for better understanding of America. Every master student is required to choose one of the three major areas as his or her study track and chooses the courses accordingly. The affiliation of each center decides its different research foci, although sometimes they have some study overlapping. According to the affiliations, these centers can be generally divided into two groups. The one, affiliated to the international relations department, academically tends to focus on US politics, economy, law and diplomacy. The diploma conferred is the politics. While the other, to the foreign language department, usually concentrate more on racial/gender issues, literature, religion, education, history and culture. The diploma conferred is English language and literature. For example, the American Studies Center of BFSU belongs to the School of English and International Studies, and the Center of American Studies of Fudan University is administered by the Institute of International Studies. The researches on different areas are not equally developed. The researches on economy, politics and foreign policy have been much more developed than that on American culture and thoughts. Out of the all articles from the year of 1987 to 2008 published in ''American Studies Quarterly'', the ones, which deal with the Sino-US relations including American foreign diplomacy, foreign commerce and military policies and strategies, accounts for 50.9 percent. Whereas, the articles, which have its topics on literature, history, gender, intellectual history, philosophy and culture, only take up about 20 percent. However, with the accelerating academic exchange between two countries, more and more students are coming to the US to study American studies and at the same time American studies scholars coming to China to do researches and teaching. In the
Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...
, Sogang University (Seoul, Korea) is the sole institution that offers regular degree program both in bachelor (BA) and master (MA) degree in American studies, named American culture. The American culture division is run by the Department of English along with English literature and linguistics. The undergraduate program consists of classes covering topics such as Native American, Black American, Asian American, American history and the context of specific period of America.
Keimyung University Keimyung University (계명대학교, Gyemyeong Daehakgyo), abbreviated as KMU or Keimyung (啓明), is a private university located in Daegu, the fourth largest city in South Korea. The university takes roots from Jejungwon founded in 1899. Th ...
(Daegu, Korea), Hansung University (Seoul, Korea),
Pyeongtaek University Pyeongtaek University (평택대학교, 平澤大學校) is a private research university located in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Originating at Pierson Memorial Union Bible Institute in 1912, Pyeongtaek University is today one of the oldest univ ...
(Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, Korea),
Kyunghee University Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) (Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universities i ...
(Yongin, Gyonggi-do, Korea) are also providing American studies major.
Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the thr ...
(Seoul, Korea) and Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea) offers undergraduate interdisciplinary course about American studies. The American Studies Association of Korea (ASAK) researches multicultural context of American into Korean circumstance. In contrast to Chinese Institution focuses on America after Cold War era, the ASAK focuses on multicultural problem and politics that affects modern day American society.


International American Studies Association

Founded at
Bellagio, Italy Bellagio (; lmo, label=Comasco, Belàs ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy. It is located on Lake Como, also known by its Latin-derived name ''Lario'', whose arms form an inverted Y. The t ...
, in 2000, the International American Studies Association has held World Congresses at Leyden (2003), Ottawa (2005), Lisbon (2007), Beijing (2009), Rio de Janeiro (2011), The Sixth World Congress of IASA at Szczecin, Poland, 3–6 August 2013, and
Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares () is a Spanish city in the Community of Madrid. Straddling the Henares River, it is located to the northeast of the centre of Madrid. , it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated municipality. ...
, Madrid (2019). The IASA is the only worldwide, independent, non-governmental association for Americanists. Furthering the international exchange of ideas and information among scholars from all nations and various disciplines who study and teach America regionally, hemispherically, nationally, and transnationally, IASA is registered in the Netherlands as a non-profit, international, educational organization with members in more than forty countries around the world.


Associations and scholarly journals

The American Studies Association was founded in 1950. It publishes '' American Quarterly'', which has been the primary outlet of American studies scholarship since 1949. The second-largest American studies journal, '' American Studies'', is sponsored by the Mid-America American Studies Association and
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
. Today there are 55 American studies journals in 25 countries.American Studies Journals: A Directory of Worldwide Resources
(updated 2015). ''TheASA.net''. Retrieved 2015-01-22.


See also

* American Literature (academic discipline) * American Studies in Germany * American studies in the United Kingdom * Cultural studies * High School of American Studies at Lehman College * Outline of academic disciplines * Public humanities


References


Further reading

*Herlihy-Mera, Jeffrey. ''After American Studies: Rethinking the Legacies of Transnational Exceptionalism'' (Routledge; 2018) * Bieger, Laura, Ramon Saldivar, and Johannes Voelz, eds. ''The Imaginary and Its Worlds: American Studies After the Transnational Turn'' (Dartmouth College Press/University Press of New England; 2013) 312 pp * Kurian, George T. ed. ''Encyclopedia of American Studies'' (4 Vol. Groiler: 2001) * Maddox, Lucy, ed. ''Locating American Studies: The Evolution of a Discipline'' (Johns Hopkins University Press 1998), *Pease, Donald E. and Robyn Wiegman, eds. ''The Futures of American Studies'' (Duke University Press 2002), *Lipsitz, George. ''American Studies in a Moment of Danger'' (University of Minnesota Press, 2001), *''"American Studies at a Crossroads" https://web.archive.org/web/20120508024141/http://ragazine.cc/2011/12/discourse-american-studies/


External links


Encyclopedia of American Studies
Sophisticated short articles by experts.
International American Studies Association: IASARIAS JournalAMERICANA – E-Journal of American Studies in HungaryJournal of Transnational American StudiesThe Futures Of American Studies Institute at Dartmouth CollegeAmerican Studies Crossroads ProjectBritish Association for American StudiesThe American Studies Association''American Quarterly''
at
Project MUSE Project MUSE, a non-profit collaboration between libraries and publishers, is an online database of peer-reviewed academic journals and electronic books. Project MUSE contains digital humanities and social science content from over 250 univers ...

''American Studies Journal''Theory and Method Resources, T. V. Reed, Washington State University''American Studies'' JournalMid-America American Studies AssociationAmerican Studies Association of Korea : ASAKSouthern American Studies Association


Library guides

* * * * * * {{Authority control Area studies