Affiliated Programs
American Studies
What is America? A nation-state. An empire. A culture. A chimera. Whatever the perspective, the meaning of America is constantly shifting. The Program in American Studies at Miami University seeks to explore and understand the multiplicity of forces, ideas, images, and people that have come together to define this place and ideal we call “America.”
As a field, American Studies focuses on the study of culture in the United States from an interdisciplinary perspective. Drawing from a range of disciplines and approaches, students have the opportunity to explore issues of political, social, cultural, and regional identity, racial and ethnic diversity, national character, intellectual and popular expression, and public culture as they have evolved from the colonial period to the present. Students are trained to analyze a wide variety of cultural events, expressions, and representations combining skills of close reading, historical contextualization, and ethnographic analysis. Core American Studies courses and selected courses from other departments and programs that examine U.S. topics—including Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Black World Studies, Communication, Comparative Religion, Geography, Economics, English, History, Jewish Studies, Latin American Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Theatre, and Women’s Studies—comprise the course of study. The major encourages the study of the United States as a whole, and at the same time allows students to pursue their particular interests by developing an area of concentration within the field. These concentrations might focus on ethnic studies, mass media and popular culture, regional identity, artistic or intellectual movements, historical moments, as well as public history and museum studies. In addition, the major is inherently flexible. Students are able to work with the program director to define their own program of study and combine courses in creative ways.
American Studies students are trained to be able to research, write, speak, and think synthetically and analytically about American culture. The skills they gain provide a foundation for success in any career. The major also provides a broad cultural context that serves to enhance and expand the detailed knowledge demanded by professional careers such as business, law, journalism, media, and public policy. The ability to think critically and self-reflectively, to write and communicate effectively, prepares students for the challenges of a complex, diverse world beyond the university.
Traditionally, the field of American Studies has been closely linked with Departments of English. Early scholars of American Studies embraced Lionel Trilling’s notion that culture was best expressed through great ideas and literature. Although the field has long since abandoned this focus on highbrow culture, it still relies heavily on the methods and theories associated with literary analysis. English students interested in American Studies will thus find themselves on familiar ground. Because of overlapping courses and content areas, English majors interested in American literature and its offsets, African American literature, Asian American literature, and Latino/a literature, would have little difficulty adding a minor or second major in American Studies.
For more information, contact the Program Director, Peggy Shaffer at 513-529-7527 or at shaffems@muohio.edu or browse to the American Studies site.