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Does American Studies Have a Credibility Problem?

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Title: Does American Studies Have a Credibility Problem?
Authors: Gutkin, Len (AUTHOR)
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. 2/27/2026, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subject Terms: *American studies, *College teachers, *Scholarly periodicals, Polarization (Social sciences), Zionism, Antisemitism
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: The article focuses on a recent report by the Progressive Policy Institute criticizing the field of American studies for its overwhelmingly radical political stance and one-sided negative portrayal of the United States. The report analyzes the journal American Quarterly and finds that most essays are critical of America, with none presenting a positive view, raising concerns about the field’s capacity for balanced scholarship and civic education. The article also discusses the case of Jemma DeCristo, a University of California at Davis professor suspended after controversial social media posts and whose book reflects the radical rhetoric critiqued in the report. Additionally, it highlights tensions around the treatment of Zionism in academia, citing Columbia University’s antisemitism task force report on campus controversies related to Israel and Zionism. The article suggests that the field’s reliance on polarized ideological language may undermine nuanced and reliable scholarship. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of Chronicle of Higher Education is the property of Chronicle of Higher Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Does American Studies Have a Credibility Problem?
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  Data: The article focuses on a recent report by the Progressive Policy Institute criticizing the field of American studies for its overwhelmingly radical political stance and one-sided negative portrayal of the United States. The report analyzes the journal American Quarterly and finds that most essays are critical of America, with none presenting a positive view, raising concerns about the field’s capacity for balanced scholarship and civic education. The article also discusses the case of Jemma DeCristo, a University of California at Davis professor suspended after controversial social media posts and whose book reflects the radical rhetoric critiqued in the report. Additionally, it highlights tensions around the treatment of Zionism in academia, citing Columbia University’s antisemitism task force report on campus controversies related to Israel and Zionism. The article suggests that the field’s reliance on polarized ideological language may undermine nuanced and reliable scholarship. [Extracted from the article]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Chronicle of Higher Education is the property of Chronicle of Higher Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=192620870
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: American studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scholarly periodicals
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      – SubjectFull: Polarization (Social sciences)
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      – SubjectFull: Zionism
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      – SubjectFull: Antisemitism
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              Text: 2/27/2026
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