Founded in 1948, the Amherst American Studies Department is one of the oldest American Studies departments in the United States.
A seminal principle of the field is that the study of American culture or society requires reliance on a range of disciplines and methodologies. We offer students the opportunity to understand the diverse range of American identities and experiences within a comparative and transnational frame that engages various histories of settlement, colonialism, migration, and social, economic, and political change. As the field of American Studies has become increasingly focused on issues of race, ethnicity and transnationalism, the department has reflected that focus and is now the site for the study of comparative race and ethnicity at Amherst College. Central to our major is an investigation of the intersectionalities of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and citizenship in the examination of American experiences.
The department includes scholars whose training, research, and teaching span both a wide range of disciplines and geographic regions. We include scholars working in Asian American Studies, Native Studies, Latino Studies, critical race studies, urban history, material culture, architecture, environmental studies, sociology, American literature and history.
The American Studies department is also distinct in our commitment to community-based learning, fostering critical analysis by engaging with local community partners in teaching, researching, and promoting active civic engagement.
101 Morgan Hall
165 South Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
Phone: 413-542-2246