The Interdisciplinary American Studies program takes as its subject the cultures that have developed in what is now the United States, understanding "American culture" as the interplay of material practices and the realm of ideas. It considers technology, economy, urbanism, and ecology, as well as literature, the arts, and political and geographic history. American Studies takes a particular interest in cultural hybridity, cultural layering, and in American culture exported abroad.
The goal of the Interdisciplinary American Studies program is to utilize the enormous and varied resources of the institution to teach students how to ask and answer scholarly questions, to formulate and undertake a focused interdisciplinary course of study, and to design and execute a substantial integrative research project. In doing this, we build upon several generations of scholars across disciplines who have advocated the critical study of race, class, gender, sexuality, and mass culture, as well as the examination of America as part of an increasingly globalized world. Read More
American Studies Graduate Profiles
Robert Cancio : - "Migration Los Angeles: The Story of a Cultural Landscape" (Class of 2013)
After a May 2013 graduation, Robert moved back to Los Angeles to spend time with his family before embarking on a cross-country trip cutting through the southern United States. He backpacked in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite; hiked through the Grand Canyon in Arizona; visited Fort Selden State Monument, a former United States Army post for the Buffalo soldiers in New Mexico; toured the Alamo in Texas; feasted on Cajun shrimp in New Orleans; and visited Disney World in Florida--a trip her is certain American Studies students would appreciate. Robert is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Miami, where he hopes to build on his interdisciplinary training in American Studies.
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