Chair of American Studies: Culture and Literature (Prof. Paul)

Welcome to the Chair of American Studies: Culture and Literature!

Chair for American Studies, Literary and Cultural Studies

Our Course Program in American Studies includes seminars, lectures, and colloquia on the undergraduate and graduate level covering all aspects of American culture. We offer an American Studies specialization in the BA “English and American Studies” (starting in the second year). On the graduate level, we continue and broaden this focus in the MA “North American Studies.” We pursue an interdisciplinary profile in the MA programs “The Americas” and “Empires and Transcontinental Spaces” that focus on the hemisphere and on transnational power structures. American Literary and Cultural Studies are also part of all teacher training study programs (Lehramt).

Our Research in American Studies focuses on projects in cultural studies and cultural theory, often with an interdisciplinary and comparative angle. Our key research fields are cultural difference and cultural mobility, myths and popular culture, and knowledge formation and tacit knowledge. For more detailed information regarding current research projects please visit the personal pages of our staff members. Every year, we organize lectures, workshops, and international conferences that bring renowned scholars and international guests to Erlangen as well as research-based summer school programs (in cooperation with the Bavarian American Academy) for doctoral students and junior faculty in American Studies.

In addition, we are dedicated to Public American Studies and participate in outreach programs. Our staff regularly offers training seminars for teachers and programs for high schools students and works with a broad range of partners outside the academy – cultural institutes, museums, as well as the adult education program (VHS). Our annual Levi Strauss Lecture for American Culture and Civilization – in cooperation with the Levi Strauss Museum in Buttenheim – aims at a broader, non-academic audience in the region.

In our mentorship philosophy, we are committed to research-oriented teaching, to a supportive and respectful learning environment, and to preparing our students for many professional pursuits. We also encourage students to go abroad and we offer assistance in application and placement procedures.

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