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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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Research Paper Doctorate

The Fourth Amendment and threats to privacy from post-9/11 security policies

¶ … American Government Politics. Discussed is the fourth amendment and the current policies of searches and seizures. Four sources used. Footnotes.

Research Paper Doctorate

Federal housing policy and metropolitan sprawl's impact on African-American poverty

Metropolitan growth and federal policies over the past half-century have had a highly negative impact on the poor of the central cities in the United States. Specifically, the African-American community (as well as…

Term Paper Undergraduate

Cross-cultural conflict in Anne Fadiman's Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

This is a six page paper about FAdiman's The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down. Some of the questions answered in this paper include: • Discuss the health issues faced by the Hmong Lee family, both from patient's point of view and the family's point of view. How did their background affect their adaptation to the United States and their feelings toward health care and health care providers. • Over the centuries, the Hmong fought against many different peoples who claimed sovereignty over their lands. What role has this tumultuous history played in the formation of the Hmong culture? • How do you feel about the Lees' reluctance to give Lia her medicine as prescribed? Can you understand their motivation?

Paper High School

Harriet Tubman's roles beyond the Underground Railroad conductor

Harriet Tubman was born a slave, but when her master died she feared separation from her family and husband and escaped. Thus began a series of trips along the Underground Railroad to help family and friends make their way north to freedom so they would never have to be separated. This essay examines the myths surrounding her deeds and the documents that reveal a more accurate truth. Certainly deserving of the myths, the truth paints a much richer and more interesting portrait of this remarkable woman.

Paper Undergraduate

Cross-cultural leadership in international business management

With the increased competitiveness in the international business world it has become very important for the businesses to be accommodating enough so that they could operate in a successful manner in places with different norms, ethics, attitudes and culture. This paper argues for transformative leadership theory to be incorporated into today's business environment since it will help them develop an accommodating attitude towards the various local cultures and try to take part in the events of the local community that their business is working in, in order to increase the successfulness of the business.

Fukuyama, Huntingdon, and Friedman's predictions for twenty-first century geopolitics

We are only a decade in to the twenty-first century, and anyone who hopes to analyze long-term geopolitical trends for America and its place in the world must begin by conceding that change is happening fast.

Paper Undergraduate

The statement against interest hearsay exception under Federal Rule 804(b)(3)

Hearsay exception rule for statement against interest is build upon the principal that whenever a statement made against the interest of the declarant it will be made vigilantly and honestly.

Paper Doctorate

Jewish identity and prejudice in "Driving Miss Daisy"

Narration is an old age tradition that has helped for centuries in protecting the tales and stories of humans and carrying it forth from one generation to other. Where before the tradition carried forth in an oral…

Research Paper Masters

Examining racial identity and anger in Lucille Clifton's poetry

Interestingly, the author of this response interprets Lucille Clifton's poetry as being heavily influenced by both her gender and her ethnicity. Many authors are so influenced, particularly in groups where the…

Paper Doctorate

ESL instruction in a combined first and second grade classroom

Befitting the United States of America's unique status as a cultural melting pot, the nation's educational system has learned to adapt its traditional method of English language instruction to suit students who primarily speak another language at home. The concept of English as Second Language (ESL) learners has emerged during the last few decades to recognize the need for teachers to customize their lesson plans, becoming more inclusive in terms of accessibility to ESL students. In light of the fact that ESL students are far more likely to absorb English during their earliest years, many school districts have elected to integrate ESL instruction within the 1st and 2nd grade levels, in the hope that this proverbial head start will enable the majority of ESL students to effectively utilize English in the educational setting.

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