American Studies

Major, Minor

How We Work

1. Our work is multidisciplinary. Because our study of American culture combines many areas of study, we are able to tackle each issue through the field—or fields—best suited to its exploration. Laura Pochodylo ’14 recently combined the studies of music, Gender & Women’s Studies, and history to explore girl bands in the 1960s. You might be a historian, a sociologist, or an artist—or you might be everything at once.
2. We get to the heart of the issues facing the United States. You’ll develop your own academic path from four distinct categories: political foundations, history, social structure and institutions, and cultural identity. These courses are drawn from a wide range of departments, so you’ll have the freedom to foster your interest in whichever fields you’re most drawn to. The breadth of knowledge you’ll gain will give you a unique ability to understand the issues facing the United States.
3. We want to understand where the idea of the United States intersects with the reality—and where it’s miles apart. By unpacking the dominant narratives that surround our country, we seek to understand why we keep telling the stories we tell and to discover the stories that have been obscured. With the support of your professors, you’ll be able to use material from your courses to critically examine contemporary social issues and make an intervention. In their project “Making Yourself up as You Go Along: A History of Transgender Transition in the United States,” Ai Miller ’16 recently combined academic experience with activism by making their research available to the public.
4. Our faculty come from a wide array of disciplines, including philosophy, art history, Gender & Women’s Studies, Africana Studies, history, and political science. With so many passionate professors to choose from, you’ll be sure to find one (or more!) who is a great fit for your academic interests. You’ll have the opportunity to choose a faculty member to supervise your senior research project, the culmination of your American Studies major. Your faculty mentor will provide encouragement and support—and push you to think outside the box.