Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

American Studies has a long history in the United States. Its roots can be traced to Parrington’s 1927 three-volume publication, Main Currents in American Thought (Parrington, 1987 a,b,c). Over time, the philosophy and paradigm embraced by American Studies has expanded to include a diverse foundation of disciplines including, for instance, the humanities, arts, and social sciences. What began as a field grounded in a cultural lens linked with only American History and Literature now incorporates a broader cultural perspective informed by an interdisciplinary conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and application framework. Further, and importantly, American Studies has expanded beyond the borders of the United States (U.S.) and a U.S. based investigation of America to a global examination of America. That is, an exploration of America shaped by knowledge, values, and beliefs held by scholars living outside of America and by how American culture has influenced and is experienced by persons and cultures not situated in America.