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What is American?

The concept of "American" as a subject of study spans disciplines ranging from history and sociology to literature and cultural studies. It invites students to examine what defines American identity, society, and values — questions that resist simple answers. Courses in world studies, American history, and cultural analysis regularly ask students to interrogate the idea of America as both a geographic place and an evolving set of ideals. Works like J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur's 1782 letter posing the question "What Is an American?" and figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Amiri Baraka serve as anchors for exploring how American identity has been constructed, contested, and redefined across centuries.

Student papers on this topic take a wide range of approaches. Comparative essays examine American values alongside European or Asian counterparts, or place historical periods like the Progressive Era and the New Deal in direct contrast. Other papers use case studies to analyze specific social and political developments — the Abolition Movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the influence of Latin migration on American life. Cultural and media analysis appears as well, with papers exploring pop music in the 1980s, advertising's effect on dietary choices, and the evolution of the cell phone as a lens into American society.

A strong essay on an American studies topic works best when it anchors a broad theme in a specific argument. Effective evidence draws on policy documents, literary texts, historical events, or cultural artifacts rather than vague generalizations about national character. The most common pitfall is treating "America" as a monolith — successful essays acknowledge the diversity of voices, regions, and experiences that shape any aspect of American life.

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Paper Doctorate

Race Discrimination Justice Discrimination Race Discimination Criminal

Race and Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System

Thesis Undergraduate

Intelligence in the Battle of the Atlantic

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest and likely the most important battle of World War II. The importance of this battle cannot be overstated because Germany had taken nearly all of Europe and was threatening to topple England. The U.S. and other allies needed to send supplies to England across the Atlantic and the Germans sent U-boats to sink many of the supply ships. But in the end, allied technologies were developed that took away the stealth advantage the U-boats originally had.

Research Paper Doctorate

Factors That Determine the Increasing Number of African-American Children in Special Education

¶ … African-American Children in Special Education Programs

Research Paper Doctorate

How it Promotes Sexual Violence

How Pornography Promotes Sexual Violence Against Women

Research Paper Doctorate

Death Unnaturally Euthanasia Suicide Capital Punishment

¶ … death: suicide, euthanasia and the death penalty. Looking at certain aspects of each and discussing the issues concerning society. Also providing a sociological out look and economic basis for the arguments.

Paper Undergraduate

American and German perspectives in World War I

The First World War began in the summer of 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. The conflict lasted through late 1918, concluding with the treaty of Versailles.

Paper Doctorate

Incongruous to Try to Compare the Artists

¶ … incongruous to try to compare the artists William Shakespeare and Bob Marley. These two men, separated by centuries and embodying two very different forms of art, both make up part of the history of popular culture.

Paper Undergraduate

American political culture and values

In Hellfire Nation (2003) James Morone described U.S. history as cyclical, with alternating generational cycles of reform and conservatism that can be traced back to the colonial period.

Paper High School

Cultural Assimilation and Sociological Perspectives

This research conducted surrounding this interviewee focuses on the reasons why a soldier's resiliency levels are so high considering the two massive injuries endured. The interviewee above demonstrates a considerable amount of resiliency after his time in combat in Iraq. He suffered a painful physical injury and a psychological injury quickly identified (assumed first due to the events surrounding the burns then diagnosed). He received treatment for this burns and at the same time received treatment for his PTSD. How can this Marine so likely to find the positives of the experience and laugh about his injuries and recovery? The paper will consider factors including his biopsychosocial development, Erikson's stages of development, his family structure and their outlook on life.

Paper Doctorate

Connection Between Music and Politics

The tango is a form of dancing that originates in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a popular dance form that has spread internationally since its inception in the early nineteenth century. As with all cultural forms, there is a distinctive history and style that accompanies this form of expression. The very creation and performance of tango are political acts. The tango flourishes in South America and in Europe. The tango culture is also quite popular in North American and Asia. There are, for example, multiple tango festivals that occur in Turkey, a country that is both in Asia and in Europe. The paper will discuss the cultural expression of tango, a form of music and dance, as well as the political circumstances under which it was created and the ones it expresses.

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