• The student acquires insight into the history and the development of American Studies as a field in both the United States and Europe.
• The student is familiar with the major dilemmas and issues American Studies has faced and is able to explain these from a historical-cultural point of
view.
• The student is aware of cutting-edge research trends and can apply theoretical concepts in a research project.
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American culture has evolved under conditions that differ in their constellations from other countries. How can we describe, understand, analyze, and make sense of these
conditions? The course "American Studies: Theories & Practices" focuses on historical and methodological developments in relation to the discipline of American Studies in Europe as well as in the United States. You will gain insight into the continually shifting themes and scope of American Studies research by studying works by both American and European scholars. What are the underlying premises that have guided work in American Studies over the course of the 20th and 21st century? The developments that have taken place in the subject have been tightly bound up with social and political developments in American society (e.g. the "multicultural turn" in response to the turbulent socio political changes of the 1960s and 70s, and the "transnational turn" as a reaction to globalization and immigration issues), and also with the United States' image of itself and the way it is perceived beyond its borders. We will explore a wide range of approaches and disciplines. Through cultural studies, border studies, African American studies, media studies, gender studies, and transnational studies, you will get a clear picture of sociocultural and political developments in the USA as well as the changing image of the USA in Europe.
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