American Studies

What is American Studies?

The first time I encountered this conception was in a book called “Americography: the Pictorial Notes of America” by Mehdi Arjmand. In fact I had received it as a gift. As I always do I took a look at the back of the book and then the introduction. In both parts the writer seemed so critical of the subject. I thought to myself, why most of such books have a negative point of view about America? Is that the whole reality? I decided to read the book any way. In fact it was just a brief history of America with lots of pictures that in my idea were used to make it more attractive especially for the young adults who usually find history boring. But while in general it was offering a negative opinion about the country, it didn’t contain any justifying reasons. So it left me with a question without answer. However there was one thing that remained in my mind and absorbed me most, a sentence in the introductory that the writer had quoted from one of his friends,

“America is the last empire of the world. It is like a huge dinosaur that is called to the kitchen!!!”

Now I am a MA student of North American studies, an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States that incorporates the study of economics, history, literature, art, the media, film, urban studies, women's studies, and culture of the United States, among other fields.
One of my professors once called it “world study” and another one defines it as “narrative of exceptionalism and empire.” And what has been my impression till now,

“American studies truly allows me to explore every facet of American culture in which I’ve ever had an interest, pushing me to draw connections and parallels that I may not have seen before.”