U.S. and Pakistani Perspectives on American Studies: Status and Future Directions

Abstract

Vernon Louis Parrington is frequently considered the founder of American Studies. His 1927 three-volume books, entitled, “Main Currents in American Thought,” established the groundwork for the launch of this discipline. These books integrated the methodologies of historical research and literary criticism when describing and analyzing what was thought to be traditionally American. Soon after the publication of Parrington’s books, the discipline of American Studies began to emerge in the 1930s with some additional roots in classes offered in American Civilization at Yale University and Harvard University in the United States (U.S.). The focus of this field has become increasingly interdisciplinary embracing the entire spectrum of the humanities along with the arts and to some extent the social sciences. Moreover, the field’s emphasis now includes, for instance, studying race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and nationality. Additionally, the discipline’s emphasis on the importance of understanding culture and context when examining what is America and American has evolved over time. The field also has taken a keen interest in how America and so called “American values and actions” are and have influenced individuals, cultures, and structures outside of America.