America in the World
Coordinator
Research description
While it is a truism that the United States has immense influence in the world, the scholars in this research group are concerned with particulars: the specific (and frequently surprising) impact of the United States on global culture, politics, and security; the constraints on and limitations to US influence abroad; and patterns of multi-directional interaction (as well as parallel political and cultural developments) between the United States and the rest of the world.
Our approach is both comparative and transnational. Members have expertise in literary criticism, media studies, history, gender and sexuality studies, heritage, and international relations, and are therefore well-equipped to investigate elite and mass-cultural forms of expression in conjunction with public, social, political, and foreign relations history.
Research group members collaborate with scholars across the University of Amsterdam, including in the faculties of law and social sciences, as well as with external partners in think tanks, heritage institutions, arts and culture, and NGOs. The group provides a forum where researchers can exchange methodologies and theories stemming from their various home disciplines while learning from other fields.
We welcome members and affiliate members who can contribute to our group’s current overlapping fields of research interest. These include:
- narratives and storytelling;
- editing and emotions;
- heritage and memory;
- democratic resilience and manifestations of illiberalism;
- transnational social activism and identity formation.
Activities
Our past activities have included the American Culture Seminar (a forum for workshopping grant applications, conference papers, and articles) and biennial public events to analyze the US presidential and mid-term elections.
In the academic year 2024-2025, the America in the World research group will continue to build its interdisciplinary collaborations across the University of Amsterdam. Planned events include:
- three works-in-progress colloquia with participation from scholars both within and beyond American Studies;
- two interdisciplinary seminars in the fields of literature, linguistics, and emotions;
- a public-facing event to analyze the 2024 presidential election, and a related publication.
Societal impact
The American presence in the world, whether welcomed, rejected, or contested, permeates all levels of the global community. Our cooperation with Dutch cultural organizations (including Spui25 and the John Adams Institute) enables us to make contributions to the public debate on a range of topics, including: print culture in Europe and the United States; social activism in contemporary and historical contexts; the formal and informal levers of American foreign policy; and fascism, para-fascism, and democratic backsliding in comparative and transnational perspectives. Members have presented their research to a wide range of audiences, including the Netherlands Defence Academy, the European Review of Books, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.
Members
George Blaustein
Ruud Janssens
Katy Hull
Bram Mellink
Manon Parry
Tjalling Valdés Olmos