My FYP is an American Studies FYP because.....

My choice of FYP sets it solely in the realm of an American Studies dissertation. I have chosen to write it on American crime fiction movies, centered around Quentin Tarantino and his emergence into the business with the potential creation of a new genre 'Ironic Crime Comedy'. I'm going to examine the portrayal of gender and masculinity in America as portrayed in these types of films. I am looking to extend this, to study in depth whether it is simply textual reality and masculinity or a portrayal of existing cultural issues. This leads into an argument of postmodernism looking at Kill Bill and fantasy versions of femeninity. My FYP is is quite focussed so doesn't span a wide range of past modules but does cover a few areas of the course previously studied. American Culture plays a large part in my study, looking at consumerist culture (Red Apple ciggarettes) and the distorted version of the American Dream portrayed in many crime films, most notably having roots in gangster films (Scarface) with immigrants finding their own dream. America is a nation of multiple cultures and that comes accross in these types of films, not only with multi-racial characters but also the cinematography can be seen as having roots outside the U.S., Tarantino uses some definitively European styles in his work. This mix to create something new is a large part of the mosaic that is American Cuture.

My FYP is an American Studies project because......

......it is sited within the nexus of disciplines which enables the study of the United States of America as a nation state by examining the history, politics, sociology and culture of the ideology of American exceptionalism from the perspective of American literature.

The concept of the United States as an 'exceptional' nation is an historic assumption which is deeply rooted within American ideology and has been transmitted globally by means of American economic and technological hegemony since the late nineteenth century. Although both reinforced, and challenged, by national and international representatives of many disciplines for much of the nation's history, there appears to be a dearth of literary contestation by American-born writers of fiction. My project is therefore based on the hypothesis: 'American literary expression is constrained by an ethos of national exceptionalism'.

In order to test the hypothesis I have chosen to examine the works of a writer who represents the social group which has dominated the United States politically, socially and culturally throughout its history (white, born-Christian and male). My hypothesis assumes that although a representative of the group which has been instrumental in the creation of the myth - and therefore has most investment in it - would be the least likely to contest it, such a writer would also be most enabled (by means of their educational, economic and social advantages) to do so given sufficient motivation. My project assumes that radicalism provides sufficient motive and I will therefore focus on one of the most radical writers of his generation (early twentieth century) - Theodore Dreiser.

I will focus on specific works published during a specific period (probably 1917-1940) of upheaval in American history in order to evaluate the impact of time, major events (First World War, Depression), and the changing social/political/economic climate, on expressions of exceptionalism (and contestation of it) within both his fiction and non-fiction. The study will evaluate whether exceptionalism as a national ideology imposes artistic constraints on writers which are exposed within their non-fiction and/or by records of their personal views - or whether the exceptionalist myth is so instrumental as an agent of American identity and culture as to appear self-evident for even the most radical of American writers.

I will not examine the origins, and oft-cited sources, of the exceptionist myth in detail but, in order to ensure the specificity of the context as wholly American, will make reference to such writers as Winthrop, de Crevecoeur, Jefferson, de Tocqueville, Frederick Jackson Turner, Theodore Roosevelt and Dickens - and situate Dreiser's writings within the context of American historic political and economic events . The major materials examined will be specific Dreiser novels (e.g. American Tragedy), other writings - especially political (e.g. Hey Rub-A-Dub-Dub!), critical works (on Dreiser) and Dresier's personal correspondence, in order to evaluate the degree to which he accepted/contested the ideology of exceptionalism , and which factors (if any) constrained/liberated him as an agent of literary contestation.

My FYP is an American Studies FYP because....

My FYP is an American Studies FYP because it concerns a subject unique to the United States, namely that of Civil Rights, from the end of slavery to contemporary issues facing Black Americans at the turn of the twenty first century. The question at the heart of this I wish to look at is how have the various theories of how rights/equality being achieved have fared and whether more radical elements have had to (and still have to?) adhere to American white culture to achieve their aims.

A definition by the British Association for American Studies (BAAS) of American Studies explains it "explores the United States through its history, diverse cultures and global rule." My subject draws from the historical, social, political and cultural aspects of America, in particular with an evaluation of the racial/cultural attitudes that existed and perhaps still exist within the nation. My FYP will hopefully address what is 'peculiar' about the United States that has made Civil Rights and African American issues a much debated subject academically both 'at home' and abroad. My study will endeavor to demonstrate whether Black Americans still have to negotiate with the dominant mainstream white culture; for the duality of being African American or Black American whether there is a real chance of obtaining an American Dream or whether to quote Malcolm X is it an "American Nightmare" instead. Autobiography and biography of such people as W E B Du Bois, Booker T Washington and Malcolm X will be assessed for their specific accommodationist/nationalist/separatist views and critical evaluation of these and how their thoughts stand with modern Black Americans; for more contemporary views modern critiques will be looked at from a variety of sources to assess how inclusive they feel in American society today. My FYP therefore shows it is specifically lodged within 'American Studies' and has an interdisciplinary nature.

Key Questions for American Studies projects

It would be helpful if you bear these in mind generally, and in particular when you're speaking to your blogs in Session 2:

'In what ways is my project interdisciplinary?'


'How will I demonstrate the specificity of my topic in its particular place and time, without reproducing the assumption that America is a unique, exceptional nation?'

By 'how', you might want to focus on the approaches, focus, argument, coverage, etc.

My FYP is an American Studies FYP because....

My FYP is entitled "The changing landscape of the contemporary American city". It aims to look at the effect urban sprawl has had upon cities not only in the American West, but also at areas such as New Jersey, which have become filled with "edge cities" or commuter towns to New York city. The project will look at the societal effects of urban sprawl; issues such as gated communities and the lessening sense of community found in exurban america which leads to an anomic society will be adressed, but this will be contrasted against small town America to question whether or not American society has deteriorated due to urban sprawl.
The project will also look at the environmental implications of urban sprawl; pollution from motor vehicles and a homogenous landscape are two key issues.
The FYP is is an American Studies FYP because it examines this phenomenon in the United States. Although this is not to say that Urban Sprawl is a uniquely American phenomenon, it has manifested itself upon the American landscape more so than in other nations due to the relaxed planning restrictions imposed by the US federal government and the profiteering nature of the American people.

Keyword 'Defining America'

Gruesz begins by examining what areas come under the title 'America', thus highlighting the difficulty in defining it. If the term 'America' is in contestation in a geographical sense, then placing a meaning upon it as a national identity becomes increasingly difficult. As Gruesz continues, looking at the history of the name 'America', it appears to become evident that it is an unresolveable argument. As she states, "The continuing life of this debate suggests that what is really at stake is not some ultimate etymological truth but a narrative of shared origins." Greusz looks at how America went from defining itself as settlers with names like "New-England, Nieuw-Amsterdam, Nueva Espana", to a unified nation when, as she puts it, America becomes synonymous with USA. Greusz goes on to look at issues of defining America as a country and an identity from Buffon (1789) to Radway (1998/2002). Gruesz section mentioning 'Americas' studies, shows the plurality of the name, and also her final notes on NAFTA add scope to the examination of the scale of what the geographical term 'America' means.

My FYP Is and American Studies FYP....

My Fyp looks at how vampires and the gothic in American Film and TV represent societies fears and anxieties. The reason this is an American Studies FYP is because i will be looking at The USA's fascination with Vampire texts and how they are representations of American Society in particular. This is mainly because i am looking at contemporary texts as the primary sources for the fyp which are all American produced Films and Television Shows. This does relate to what we discussed in the last session though as we have an understanding in American Studies that we have to study all of the input that goes into america to make it up e.g the different races and cultures that make up America. This relates to my FYP as there is so much input from older texts and European texts which many of the American adaptations are based on. The existing debates that surround my topic are the relationships between vampire fiction and how it represents themes of race, gender, sexuality, disease, religion and the fear of the "other" and as we know these are some of the key issues in American Society and have always been.

Definitions of "America"

Gruesz discusses the term "America" and looks at the many etymological meanings of the word in an attempt to gage a better understanding of the true meaning of the term. She looks at the ambiguities surrounding the origins of the term and discusses how how whilst America was once understood as stretching from "Yukon to Patagonia", it has now become more synonomous with referring to the USA. She also looks at the other ways in which "America" has gained different meanings over time, for example, she uses Edmundo O'Gorman's argument that "America was invented before it was discovered", an idea that Europeans had long imagined a new world before it was inhabited. She also looks at America as a land of "Historylessness", again showing how the term is understood to mean a "New" land.

She concludes by discussing NAFTA, and argues that whilst nowadays "America" is widely understood to be the USA, NAFTA offers a way of uniting all of the American continent through trade, thus showing how "America" can still be used to describe the distance from Latin America to Canada. However, the fact that America is used to describe the USA shows how America is a global hegemon, and the most powerful and dominant within the continent.

Keyword America

Gruesz suggests that the words 'America' or 'American' are very ambiguous. One cannot tie America down to territory since it may include the greater Americas rather than the United States. Terms and notions such as 'Freedom, Liberty and Democracy' are equally vague as are consumerism and cultural practices.

Perhaps America is a shared ideology; to be an American is to be the common man and yet share a feeling of exceptionalism. In such a vast and differing nation made up of so many races there is an implication of homogenisation and consolidation, not supposedly one of difference; America may celebrate the individual but he must conform to a certain extent to being Americanised and subscribe to the myths of American history and culture.

Defining 'America'

Although Gruesz makes reference to the contested definition of the keyword 'America' in populist terms such as geography and origin, the focus of her essay emphasises the importance of the contextural in understanding the usage of keywords in the field of American Studies. The context is multi-faceted and may be a product of time, author, audience and scope (the when, why, and by whom, of usage). Gruesz uses examples to illustrate the importance of understanding these elements in both transmission and reception of words - in this case 'America'.

Her reference to Walt Whitman is one such example (she's an authentic source on him). His use of the term 'America' is described relative to his ideology ('the heterogeneous mixing of immigrants into a "race of races"') and his political views ('expansionist'), and also his era and biography - nineteenth century United States native in this case. Against that context, our understanding (reception) of Whitman's 'America' would differ from his understanding (transmission). Likewise the term 'Americanisation' appears 'self evident' to some in its contemporary definition - a populist term for global cultural homogenisation by the United States. However, a century ago it would have been equally 'self-evident' that the term referred to the process of cultural assimilation under which immigrants became 'Americans'.

Her essay emphasises the requirement to challenge our understanding of the usage of 'America' whilst also suggesting the scope of a contemporary definition - a scope which invokes an explicit pluralism. Dare I suggest that given Ms Gruesz Hispanic ancestry (and areas of academic interest) this may illustrate her particular position on the debate of 'America' as 'a narrative of shared origins' in which she stakes her specific group's 'claim' to 'primacy and symbolic..... ancestry of the Americas'.

Keyword America

I think that i generally understood what Gruesz was saying in realtion to the term America in this article. The general overview is about defining America in terms of its terretories and citezenship and how it has become difficult to define over the years. The main point is how it has evolved from "America" once meaning both the North And South American Continents, to just meaning the United States. And even when defining the United States the understanding is a bit blurry as their are so many defintions of which she mentions for the terrotories and citezens of the USA. She makes the point of how America, the idea of a new world of freedom was already invented by the Europeans before the land was discovered. Therefore the fact that it was founded on an idea it did not naturally develop through ancestory. I couldnt really make out any other points Gruesz was trying to make when defining America but she sort of finishes by saying that one day the new term "Americas" (meaning the two continents) will recieve just as much scrutiny and criticsm as "America" gets today as the world evolves.