Welcome
This website has been created as an accompaniment to American Cultural Studies by Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean. This core text has been revised throughout for the fourth edition, providing an accessible introduction to the central themes in modern American culture.
This companion website offers a range of resources to support further study and guide students in exploring key topics relevant to the themes of the book. On this website, you will find:
- an interactive timeline of cultural and historical events, containing illustrations and links to supporting material
- additional discussion questions and activities for each topic
- suggestions for further reading and online resources for each chapter.
For ease of access these resources are primarily linked to the separate chapters, though many important topics cross chapters and it will be helpful to look at resources under a number of different headings (African American culture, for instance, is discussed in chapter 3, but is also treated in chapters 4 and 5).
“Like previous editions, the fourth edition of Campbell and Kean's American Cultural Studies manages to address some of the most pertinent issues in American Cultural Studies in a manner that is thought-provoking yet brief. The text blends history, theory, and analysis into a narrative that is intriguing, conceptually challenging, yet accessible for introductory humanities courses; the updated chapters on ethnicity and immigration, religion, and freedom are especially noteworthy in this regard.”
“American Cultural Studies is a key text for students that details a staggering wealth of US cultural history. Campbell and Kean not only look at a huge breadth of sources but they manage to weave this into a coherent and compelling interpretation of America’s ideology that will be appreciated by all students of US history and politics. Indeed if you want to understand how the US affects us all through its cultural impact then you need to read this very enjoyable book.”
“Richly interdisciplinary and newly updated to include discussions of Barack Obama, long-form television, and ‘Hemispheric American Studies’, the fourth edition of American Cultural Studies continues to provide the best and most up-to-date introduction to American Studies currently in print.”
“The fourth edition of American Cultural Studies provides an introduction that is thoroughly informed by new directions in the discipline – especially, the turn to the transnational – and that reads more 'traditional' topics alongside assessments of subjects that have generally received less attention on American Studies programmes, such as the presence of Islam in the United States, the growing significance of Hispanic culture, and the debates over same-sex relationships. The broad coverage is delivered with an expert knowledge of the field, encompassing an impressive combination of well-known and new readings of key moments and texts, and is supplemented with excellent lists of further reading.”
“This is an indispensable guide for students at all levels, covering the key themes, texts and debates of the ‘new’ American Studies. Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly readable, it’s probably the best introduction available; it is both practical and engaging and I highly recommend it.”
I've found American Cultural Studies to be a really strong and engaging text for American Studies students – both undergraduates and beginning Master's students. The authors get at key American themes and ideas, successfully elucidating their nuances and complexities and putting them into useful contexts. The international perspective (from writers not based in the USA) further enriches this look at American culture and the new edition includes timely updates so that the examples and case studies remain current.”
