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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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Essay Doctorate

Christianity and African-American identity in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

This is a three page paper about the importance of Christianity in the lives of African Americans, seen through the eyes of the characters in the play by August Wilson entitled Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The characters Toledo, Cutler, and Levee are focused on in the discussion, because they are the characters that mention Christianity. Christianity is the religion of the oppressor, which is the central theme.

Paper Undergraduate

John Blassingame's "The Slave Community" and African-American culture

For the books listed in the bibliography, the following information is provided for a historiography of the subject: 1. Book thesis statement and page number for each book?. (50 words) 2. Identify how racial, ethnic, and other groups in the U.S. struggled for each book and page number. (100 words) 3. Make connections between the books local, regional, and national ideological shifts and page number. (100 words) 4. Identify how racial, ethnic, and other groups struggled to gain access to institutions and status in the U.S. for each book and page number? (50 words) 5. Based on chronology summarize the arguments for each book and page number. (50 words) 6. Analyze strengths and weaknesses for each book and page number. (50 words) 7. Biographies of the scholars for each book. (50 words)

Paper Undergraduate

Digital technology and civic engagement in fragmented American communities

According to a recent study (Vedantam, 2006), Americans are more socially isolated than they were in 1985, with the number of people with whom they can confide dropping by one third, from three close confidents to two. American is viewed as a fragmented society with splinters of people growing ever more distant with regard to intimate social ties. Despite the benefits of close social connections, people report being alone, feeling alone, and suffering alone in bad times. The ability of digital social networks to support substantive civic engagement is more than a test of the media's capacity to convey and renew civic engagement—it is also a test of the transformative capacity of social networks with regard to sustained interest and action.

Research Paper Undergraduate

Online course design for nursing education using constructivist principles

One method for addressing the obesity issue in America (and other countries) is through teaching those student nurses who will most likely have the opportunity to see its heavy effects on a regular and consistent basis. This lesson plan offers a lesson in how to learn more about nutrition and apply that knowledge in a useful manner. The students are asked to define nutrition, create a meal plan, and serve a food sample to the other students.

Paper Undergraduate

Stuart Hall's theory of language, identity, and cultural meaning

According to Stuart Hall, culture is about shared meanings; language is the medium through which meaning is produced and exchanged (Hall, 2003, p. 1). In linking language to identity and culture, Hall uses the word…

Paper Undergraduate

Supporting H.R. 80: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research Act

H.R. 80 is a bill before the current Congressional session that provides increased funding for triple-negative breast cancer research and information dissemination to the public and medical care providers. The overall goal is to increase the survival rate of breast cancer patients with a diagnosis of triple-negative, thereby decreasing the economic burden patient families' face in the aftermath of treatment. This is especially important for low-income families where the loss of a wage earner can be financially devastating.

Paper High School

Marketing research proposal for Bud Light beer entry into Turkish market

This paper presents a marketing research proposal for Bud Light beer which is to be introduced in Turkish market. The paper has covered all the important sections of the marketing research proposal including background to the research problem, product and industry profile, internal and external analysis, research approach and methodology, and technical appraisal using timeline and cost analysis for the project.

Michael Moore's Sicko: psychological persuasion and healthcare system critique

The paper is an analysis of the film Sicko. The paper, in its analysis, intentionally relates the film to principles, theories, or practices in psychology. The film deconstructs Moore's methods of messaging and connects his methods to applications of psychology.

Essay Doctorate

Stephen Prothero and Wilfred Cantwell Smith on religious literacy and scholarship

¶ … Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- And Doesn't," Prothero claims that "Americans are both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion." The professed religiosity of most Americans…

Paper Undergraduate

Professional ethics and cultural competence in nursing practice

This paper is an annotated bibliography on ethics and culture. The researchers argued that the cultural competence is a term that refers to behave in a good way to every individual, who may belong to a different race, ethnicity or demographic. They found that the social work trends are at the odds of this society. The contradictions no more exist relevant to the way people living today. The people from different religion, race, culture, ethnicity are living together, being friends with each other, behaving in a civilized manner with each other.

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