The Myths That Made America: Teaching American Studies (10.10.24)
Date: Oct. 10, 2024 (9 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Location: 00.15 PSG, Kochstraße 6a, 91054 Erlangen
When The Myths That Made America came out ten years ago, it had a wide-ranging impact as a new and timely introduction to the field of American Studies. With its systematic analyses of core foundational myths that continue to shape US-American national identities today, Heike Paul’s book has become a staple in American Studies classes in Germany and beyond. The Myths That Made America has proven to be a reference book for anyone interested in understanding US culture, society, and politics and has found a broad readership beyond academia, too.
The chapters cover the myths of “discovery,” the “promised land,” and the West, the various appropriations of Pocahontas and the Founding Fathers, as well as the powerful narrations about the melting pot and the self-made man. With examples ranging from popular and memorial culture to literature, textbooks, and everyday life, The Myths That Made America offers profound analyses based on state-of-the-art research and presents them in a highly accessible and engaging manner.
Ten years after its publication, this workshop on The Myths That Made America reflects on the book’s uses in different classroom settings and assesses its ongoing relevance for teaching American Studies.
To register for the workshop, please send an email to isabel.kalous@fau.de by October 6.