American Studies emerged as an academic movement shortly after World War II. With the United States suddenly thrust upon the world stage as a relatively young leader and with growing specialization fragmenting knowledge and communication, various American scholars felt compelled to integrate information and insights from many sources in an effort to understand what was "American" about America.

The American Studies program operates on the assumption that all aspects of America's intellectual, artistic, and material culture, and its vernacular tradition as well as its cultivated tradition, are valuable sources of information and insights about American civilization. American Studies is interdisciplinary in nature because it draws from a number of academic disciplines covering all facets of American civilization in the pursuit of an understanding of American culture.

For More Information:

Dr. Richard J. Webster, Coordinator
American Studies
412 Main Hall
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
(610)436-2995
rwebster@wcupa.edu

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