As noted American Studies scholar George Lipsitz explains, American Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines American life and culture.The work of American Studies takes place both on campuses and in communities. American Studies scholars investigate where the ideals of American democracy are at their finest and where they remain incomplete. <br><br>We ask key questions like: What is an American How and why is culture important to our lives and identities How do we represent the past and what importance—and limitations—do these representations have How and why does culture—including popular culture, the arts, and literature—serve as a site of social struggle How do diverse groups within the Americas imagine their identities and their relation to the United States What happens when we look at our world(s) from a variety of perspectives These are some of the questions that are addressed in American Studies, an interdisciplinary approach to American history, life, and culture.<br><br>Founded just over fifty years ago, American Studies is a vital, malleable, and growing academic enterprise, one known for the new questions it has posed, the new perspectives it has brought to the study of the cultures of the United States, and the new information it has introduced into scholarly and public conversations about national identity and experience. American Studies crosses disciplines of literature, history, art, music, psychology, political science, language, and environmental studies. It can be self-reflexive and focused, or offer a broader view of the world’s geographical, historical, artistic, cultural, and social boundaries.