©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies?
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Transcript of ©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesWhat is American Studies?
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What is American Studies?
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What is American Studies?
American Studies explores the United States through its history, diverse cultures and global role
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What is American Studies?
American Studies is different to many other degree courses because it combines a number of subjects including: History, Literature and Politics
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
American Studies offers you choiceYou can focus on the subjects you know and love or broaden your horizons and find new areas to explore
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
American Studies offers you choiceYou can study subjects together: History and LiteratureForeign Policy and FilmPolitics and International Relations
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
American Studies offers you choiceDepending on the route you choose to take within your degree you could study a combination of the following subjects …
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
History Literature
Culture
FilmPolitics
Music
Visual Arts
Foreign PolicyGeography
Religion
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What will you study?
You might study the American political system whilst taking a course on jazz, explore Native American History or analyse early Hollywood cinema – or even all of these together!
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What will you study?
A broad range of topics – like the 1950s – or topics such as the African American experience or the US media
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
American Crime FictionUS Foreign Policy and TerrorismThe Civil Rights Movement Slavery and Freedom and …
Here are some of the modules you might study…
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
American MusicalsThe CIA and International HistoryThe BluesWomen in American Society
Here are some of the modules you might study…
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Make connections
As well as drawing on a range of subjects, American Studies is also interdisciplinary, which simply means that it seeks to make connections between subjects
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
For exampleYou might study the Vietnam war in a Foreign Policy module but you can also investigate how it is represented in Film
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Or
You might learn about The American Civil War in a history module and study it through poetry and fiction
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
You choose the direction your
studies takeThis allows you to build connections between different subjectsIncreasing the scope of your knowledge
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
It provides you with original lines of enquirySo you can follow your own path
You choose the direction your
studies take
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
So remember…
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see”
Henry David Thoreau, American author and philosopher
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, American author and philosopher
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Quickquiz
How much do you already know about the USA?
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Quickquiz
Which is the largest state in the US?A. TexasB. AlaskaC. California
Answer: B. Alaska
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Quickquiz
Which of the following is NOT a real museum in the US?A. The shark tooth museum
B. The museum of deathC. The hamburger hall of fame
Answer: A. The shark tooth museum
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Quickquiz
When did America declare its independence from Britain?A. 1492B. 1776C. 1914
Answer: B. 1776
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
QuickquizThe classic American novel Moby Dick tells the story of a hunt for what?A. a bearB. a criminalC. a whale
Answer: C. a whale
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Why study America?
(click image to start movie clip)
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Why study America?
Because its study is exciting and relevant and will help you develop a broad range of skillsAnd it opens up wide employment prospects
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Why study America?
Because of its cultural richness and diversityBecause of its power and influence
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its cultural diversity
Its many vital, exciting and complex cultures draw on such traditions as the African American, Asian American, Hispanic, European and Native American traditions
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its powerful influence
America is often described as the only remaining “superpower” in the world. After the end of the Cold War, America emerged as the most powerful nation in the world because of its economic and military strength
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its powerful influence
And the culture of the United States – its art, literature, TV, film and music – has a huge impact around the world. These attract large international audiences and often influence the cultures of other nations
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its powerful influence
Whether you believe this is a good or bad thing it is vital to investigate and understand the cultural, economic and military power of the United States and its effects on the rest of the world
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its history
In its short history the United States has been shaped by:mass immigrationrevolutioncolonisationslavery
civil warimperial ambitionsdemocracy
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because of its history
All of these are not issues that belong to the past, they are crucial to understanding the modern world we live in
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Because it raises global
issuesSo American Studies gives you insight into topics and ideas that are interesting and relevant
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
But what can an American Studies degree do for you?vital skillsexcellent career prospects the opportunity to study abroada global outlook and cultural awareness
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What kind of job can you
get?The broad range of skills gained by taking American Studies means you have many different employment options when you complete your degree
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What kind of job can you
get?Here are just some of the most popular careers and professions that American Studies graduates take up…
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What kind of job can you
get?Film and TV Production • Education • Politics • Sales • Journalism • Media • Research • Publishing • Public Relations • Business Administration •
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
What kind of job can you
get?Marketing • Museum work • Human Resources • Archival History • Corporate Communications…
…and many more
What is American Studies?©Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”Ralph Waldo Emerson, American author and philosopher