Chair of American Studies

Demographic heterogeneity requires societies to negotiate various concepts of difference, and the Chair of American Studies considers this nexus of interactions from a transatlantic perspective. The research and teaching priorities of the chair focus particularly on recent developments in American Studies oriented towards exploring diversity in scenarios of inequality and categories of difference against the backdrop of social struggles for participation, visibility, and the recognition of differences. At the same time, they highlight how, since the 1960s, the agenda of American Studies has been crucially shaped by criticism of oftentimes violent inequalities. The Chair is committed to fostering interdisciplinary transatlantic exchange in research and teaching as well as social dialogue on issues of diversity.