America?s cultural icons are the world's cultural icons. From Walt Disney to the Statue of Liberty, from Hollywood to?Time?magazine, from Jack Kerouac to Don DeLillo and from Margaret Atwood to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The influence of American culture around the world is tremendous. The meaning and the significance that people assign to American products vary from country to country. The Master?s program in Literatures and Cultures of North America in International Perspective focuses on the production and reception of literature, (popular) culture and art in the 20th and 21st centuries in their historical, social and cultural contexts.

The? program offered at ?stresses the diversity of North American cultural production. It allows students to study contemporary North American fiction, manifestations of the American avant-garde, and/or the literary and cultural production of American ethnic groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and Chicano/as. Particular emphasis lies on the societal and socio-political context that give literary and cultural communications its meaning.

Therefore, this specialization will allow you to critically explore the significance of American (and Canadian) culture to countries around the globe with an emphasis on Europe. Next to studying the variety of meanings that are assigned to American cultural products abroad, you?ll explore the sheer variety of American cultural expressions.

Career prospects

With the specialization in Literature and Cultures of North America you?ll:

  • Have obtained a thorough understanding of the production and reception of North American culture, with an emphasis on literature, but also including visual art, film, television, music, performative art and even international franchises.
  • Be familiar with the diversity of North American cultural expression and understand the role that cultural production and the media play in socio-political, cultural and literary debates.
  • Be able to analyze expressions of North American culture within their cultural and/or socio-political contexts from European and general international perspectives.
  • Have the skills to formulate research questions, to independently engage in research activities and to report on their research findings in academic fashion.

Job possibilities

The above knowledge and skills, together with an excellent command of (American) English, will help you find a job in an international setting. This specialization will help you find work in the following areas (but not exclusively):

  • Media like journalism, TV, film, and digital communication
  • Publishing or advertisement
  • Cultural heritage, museums and tourism
  • Education
  • Research
  • Consultancy for businesses, NGOs and governmental organizations

Want to learn more??

Would you like to learn more about this programme and Radboud University? Join us for our Master?s Open Day on 16 March 2019! To learn more and register for this exciting event, visit www.ru.nl/masters/openday.