American Studies Statement of Principle:

We embrace without equivocation the right to freedom of expression, inquiry, equity, dissent, justice, and equality.
We invite transformative conversation that leads to positive and constructive action.
We condemn bigotry, intimidation, coercion, and brutality in all its forms.
With these commitments in mind, we create space for people to act on these principles and protect their right to do so.

What is America?

America is local. The scholars and students of the Department of American Studies study locality by engaging with historic and contemporary American Indian communities. America is regional. We consider the role of the diverse American South through our Southern Studies concentration. America is national. We explore the popular cultural forms that have drawn the country together and divided it, historically and currently. America is global. We nurture this approach through our Global American Studies program and our emphasis on Study Abroad opportunities for our majors and minors. America is a story. The folklorists in our department pursue the American narrative as expressed with the spoken word, art, performance, and other means. And American Studies is changing. Our leadership in Digital Humanities nurtures new styles of answering humanities questions. We explore the place, people, cultures, and experiences of America through a coordinated curriculum of American Studies, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Folklore, Global American Studies, Southern Studies, and Digital American Studies.

Recent News

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  Presenting Myron Dewey: Protecting the Water

  Want to learn more about our Lehman Brady visiting professor Myron Dewey and his work? Please visit http://www.digitalsmokesignals.com/.  

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  COFFEE CHAT: Dr. Daniel Cobb, professor of American Studies

  Want to learn more about the faculty, students, and staff that make up the Department of American Studies? Follow along with our new AMST/FOLK Coffee Chat series where we ask our community about new research, old hobbies, and everything in … Continued

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  Dr. Engelhardt named interim senior associate dean, fine arts and humanities

    From the UNC College of Arts and Sciences: “Elizabeth Engelhardt, current chair of American Studies, has been named interim senior associate dean for fine arts and humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, effective March 18. She replaces … Continued

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  Coffee Chat: Post-Doctoral Scholar Dr. Annette Rodriguez

  Want to learn more about the faculty, students, and staff that make up the Department of American Studies? Follow along with our new AMST/FOLK Coffee Chat series where we ask our community about new research, old hobbies, and everything in … Continued

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  Folklore professor Dr. Berlinger helps organize “Wandering Objects” Symposium

  On November 11 – 13, join curators, art historians, folklorists, anthropologists, religious scholars, philosophers, cultural critics, private collectors, and community leaders for “Wandering Objects: Collecting and Interpreting Jewish Things,” an international symposium probing the changing meanings of Jewish ritual objects … Continued

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  Department of American Studies Represented at Oral History Association Annual Conference

  American Studies PhD Candidates, Folklore Masters Alumna, and  undergraduates majoring in American Studies and American Indian and Indigenous Studies represented the department at the Oral History Association annual conference at Concordia University in Montreal last week to speak to the … Continued

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  Dr. Marcie Cohen Ferris honored with 2018 SFA Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award

    The 2018 Southern Foodways Alliance Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded to recently retired American Studies professor, Dr. Marcie Cohen Ferris. Marcie Cohen Ferris, a native of Blytheville, Arkansas, who has done transformative work at the Museum of … Continued

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  American Studies Association Names AMST PhD Rachel Gelfand Finalist for Dissertation Prize

  We’re thrilled to share that Dr. Rachel Gelfand, who received her American Studies PhD this past spring, was named a finalist for the American Studies Association’s Ralph Henry Gabriel Prize! The prize is is awarded annually to the best doctoral … Continued