American Cultural Studies: An Introduction to American Culture

by Neil Campbell, Alasdair Kean

Drawing on literature, art, film theatre, music and much more, American Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary introduction to American culture for those taking American Studies. This * introduces the full range and variety of American culture including issues of race, gender and youth
* provides a truly interdisciplinary methodology
* suggests and discusses a variety of approaches to study
* highlights American distinctiveness
* draws on literature, art, film, theatre, architecture, music and more
* challenges orthodox paradigms of American Studies. This is a fast-expanding subject area, and Campbell and Kean's book will certainly be a staple part of any cultural studies student's reading diet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cultural Studies, American

322 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 1997

Reviews

[Tanja (Tanychy) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book ever written.

[Leon]

read: “Introduction” by Neil Campbell and Alasdair Kean

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful—as a reference text. Campbell and Kean have obviously read widely, and this allows them to assimilate a vast amount of theory and media that they use to produce a composite of what can loosely be called American representations of itself, to itself, and to others.

As a text to read, don't expect to be swept away by a narrative or entranced by detailed examples. Campbell and Kean favor a meticulous example-laden approach organized around principles of what American culture 'is' or, for their purposes, can be taken to be. These include regionalism, religion, global reach, cities, and so on. In each chapter, the authors provide a summary of how these areas of study are being considered (or reconsidered) in contemporary research, then attempt to offer specific examples that highlight these theoretical insights.

Attempting to synthesize the vast agglomeration of American cultural artefacts sometimes overwhelms Campbell and Kean and can lead to banal conclusions. But you probably didn't come here for pathbreaking analysis. Rather, the book is better taken as a survey of just how varied American cultural representations have been, how contradictory they can be.

Another way of saying this is that the book's value is expressed in its title: it is an introduction. It strongly favors comprehensiveness and summary descriptions over depth and explanation. For one interested in American cultural studies, the book provides the reader with a valuable launching off point for areas of further, deeper inquiry (just follow their citations). But don't come in expecting to find that deep inquiry here.

[Marlies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campbell and Kean approach subjects concerning American culture in a refreshing way. Sometimes a bit too many examples.