American Studies

Overview

Course description

The American Studies programme at The University of Manchester includes a full year in North America as a part of your degree programme.

At Manchester, we train our students to be attentive to the counter-currents of US history and literature, and our course places a particular emphasis on the themes of race, capitalism, sexuality, the cultures of labour, political protest and the environment.

You will master the approaches and tools found in several academic disciplines, including cultural theory, history, visual studies, literature and politics.

You will learn how to analyse and interpret a wide range of texts and materials, including historical documents, films, manuscript collections, literary works, visual and marketing campaigns, and musical works.

Years 1 and 2 will give you a wide knowledge of US politics and history, and American literature and film, and will familiarise you with concepts such as:

• mass incarceration; 

• inequality; 

• racial stratification; 

• poverty; 

• the logics of policing; 

• the changing nature of work and leisure; 

• radical organising; 

• military power; 

• cultural imperialism; 

• climate change; 

• urban politics; 

• conspiracy theories; 

• gender and sexuality; 

• literature and film analysis. 

Upon returning to Manchester from your year abroad, you will be able to choose from an extensive range of advanced modules, while also completing a substantial piece of independent research.