American Studies
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About American Studies at St. Norbert College
The American Studies minor is an interdisciplinary academic program whose central mission is the study of the multifaceted character of the U.S. from a variety of intellectual perspectives: cultural, political, religious, philosophical, sociological, literary and historical. Students examine key aspects of American experience – including the arts, work, leisure, family, gender, race and ethnicity. Drawing on various disciplines, students will come to understand and integrate the methodologies and questions of the field.
Why study American Studies?
American Studies is important for anyone interested in American culture—teachers and other professionals whose interests extend beyond their specialty, faculty and students associated with American studies programs in colleges and secondary schools, museum directors and librarians interested in all segments of American life, public officials and administrators concerned with the broadest aspects of education.
The American Studies minor allows students to take courses in several different disciplines, encouraging them to think broadly about American culture. These courses hone students’ critical thinking skills, helping them prepare for the rigors of post-undergraduate life. The minor can serve to further specify a major in another field—such as English, sociology or history, for example—by focusing specifically on America and its issues. On the other hand, the minor can complement students’ majors in other fields, such as the
natural sciences, by offering American coursework in the
humanities and
social sciences.
Chartered in 1951, the American Studies Association now has more than 5,000 members who come from many fields: history, literature, religion, art, philosophy, music, science, folklore, ethnic studies, anthropology, material culture, museum studies, sociology, government, communications, education, library science, gender studies, popular culture and others.
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