American Studies is a vibrant, challenging and exciting field of studies.First established as an academic discipline in the United States in the 1920s, American Studies is now recognized internationally as one of the most stimulating degree programs in the Humanities. Despite cynicism and censure in some quarters, there is no denying that in terms of its global impact American culture is the world’s only “super-culture.” It is inconceivable that one can come to an effective understanding of the complexity of today’s world without a thorough analysis of the history and culture of the nation that has in various degrees impacted on the way we live and the way we think about the world and ourselves.
Exploring the cultural domain “the United States of America,” American Studies starts from the premise that “America” was shaped as much by its literature, arts, folklore, music, film, philosophy, commerce, entertainment, media, education, science and religion, as by its Constitution and political treaties, its laws and its wars. In its early days, American Studies explored the question of what constituted America’s common national identity. Since the 1960s the focus of study has increasingly shifted to America’s racial, ethnic, social and regional diversity. As well as studying “high culture,” American Studies explores aspects of the culture of everyday life – film, music, fast food, the media and other forms of “popular culture.” What has endured since the 1920s is the awareness that none of the academic monodisciplines (history, literary studies, sociology, art history, philosophy, etc.) is sufficiently equipped to offer a comprehensive account of the complex dynamics of American culture. Interdisciplinarity, therefore, has always been a defining characteristic of American Studies, and has helped to put the discipline at the forefront of developments in the broader field of cultural studies.
American Studies at the University of Groningen
The
University
of
Groningen
is the only university in The Netherlands to offer a bachelor degree in American Studies. All courses were designed and developed specifically for American Studies. This has resulted in a program that is transparent, coherent and exciting. The program was categorized as “Excellent” in the recent national quality assurance exercise. What distinguishes our degree from all other similar programs is its interdisciplinary nature: rather than approaching the field from one or two perspectives, traditionally history and literature, in
Groningen
students will explore the cultural domain of
America
from the perspectives of its popular culture, history, language, literature, constitution, ethnicity and religion, drawing on and interrelating a range of disciplinary models.
In addition to acquiring knowledge about the specific field of study, students acquire a range of transferable skills that will stand them in good stead whatever direction their lives take them after university. Students will develop competence in analysis and argument; presentation and communication skills, and high levels of spoken and written English. The program also offers extensive possibilities to study and do an intership in the USA.
The bachelor degree program in American Studies at the RuG is the only program of its kind in The Netherlands that is fully taught in English.
