About the Centre
Soon after the formal launch of the Centre for American Studies in 1997 we acquired the motto: 'Declare your Independence' . This motto is appropriate for two reasons. The gaining and exercise of independence is a major theme in the American history, literature, politics and culture studied at Leicester. More importantly, by choosing American Studies you are declaring your independence from the academic mainstream. The Centre believes that the best way to understand a subject is to apply a variety of disciplines as tools to develop a multifaceted perspective.
Staff expertise is extensive but especially strong in the modern and contemporary periods where current research interests include the Civil Rights Movement, American Culture of the 1950s, Twentieth Century US Foreign Policy, Hollywood Melodrama and American Culture since 9/11. While historical and traditional America features strongely on our degrees, the contemporary moment is a particular focus, whether in fiction, politics or cinema, making our progammes especially lively and relevant.
