British Studies, The Latest Import From The US?

In recent weeks, Philippa Levine, a British historian and co-director of the British Studies program at the University of Texas, has been besieged with requests from American journalists seeking her insights into the recent royal wedding. Levine has expressed her exasperation, stating that she, like most in her field, is not an expert on William and Kate. Nonetheless, British studies is a field flourishing in the US which brings together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines to study Britain and its empire. Levine, who is also president of the North American Conference on British Studies, explains that the field has gone from focusing on "little England" to studying the empire in all its facets. This approach includes a more critical examination of Britain’s colonialism and its impact on the world. While British studies is not a recognized field in the UK where British history is already ubiquitously studied, it is a growing field in the US where the study of Britain appeals to students for a range of reasons from their personal heritage to an interest in British pop culture or non-traditional history courses.

Several Anglophile philanthropists are among the funders of centres and programmes studying British culture, which can pose challenges according to Vincent Pecora, who heads Utah’s British studies programme. The endowment for the programme was launched by Gordon Hinckley, the former president of the Mormon Church who had an affinity for London. Although many academics working in this field are American, their approach offers a unique perspective, different from that of British scholars. Peter Mandler, a professor of modern cultural history at Cambridge, notes that American academics studying Britain may have their own biases, but can also highlight topics that Britons themselves may overlook. Several travel to the UK frequently to conduct research. The academics also believe that American British studies scholars have more freedom in their work, as they have to justify why their scholarship is important. Some universities in the US are even investing in accommodation for faculty and research students studying at their centre for British and Irish studies. Levine thinks that expanding the field’s reach into Britain could be beneficial, especially for universities that want to attract foreign students.