Understanding America in the 21st Century: Culture and Politics

Search

Loading...

News

Latest News

Apr 16, 2019
by Oscar Tollast
Understanding America in the 21st Century: Culture and Politics

Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association publishes new report on 16th symposium

The latest report of the Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association - Understanding America in the 21st Century: Culture and Politics

On the 65th anniversary of the formation of the European Association of American Studies, the Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association is delighted to publish a new report on Understanding America in the 21st Century: Culture and Politics.

The report covers activities which took place at the 16th symposium of the Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association and was held at Salzburg Global Seminar in September 2018.

The multi-disciplinary symposium, which shares the same name as the report, explored the sensitive intersect of culture and politics in America’s rapidly changing landscape.

The four-day symposium brought together 53 Americanists, political scientists, and cultural and media professionals from 29 countries on five continents.

Together, participants sought to understand how the lives of individuals and communities in 21st century America are being reshaped as a result of current social, political and cultural forces as well as America’s role in world affairs.

Participants engaged with thematic presentations on populism, race, gender, and America and the world. They also took part in discussion groups which focused on American literature, film, and the United States Supreme Court.

The symposium reached a successful conclusion with participants gaining a better awareness of the political, social, cultural, and institutional tensions existing within the United States at the time.

This new report includes sections on rhetoric versus reality, forces of change, and faculty interviews.

A transcript of the inaugural Ron Clifton Lecture on American Studies given by Christopher Bigsby, professor of American Studies and director of the Arthur Miller Institute for American Studies at the University of East Anglia, is also provided.

Salzburg Global Seminar was founded in 1947 but was first known as the Salzburg Seminar in American Civilization. American Studies has played a vital role in the organization’s history and development. The Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association was established in 2004 to continue this legacy.

Download the report as a PDF


This is a report of Understanding America in the 21st Century – Culture and Politics, the 16th symposium of the Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association (SSASA) multi-year series.