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American Studies in Iran
American Studies in Iran is full of contradictions and paradoxes. So my impression from America as an Iranian inevitably contains all these paradoxes. My first impression and image from America is not Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse or other sweet and delightful images that would be the answer if you ask other children around the world. The first thing that I remember as a five year old child in 1988 was IR655, a civilian airliner shot down by U.S. missile, and the films and pictures of dead bodies of the victims floating in the water, and my eyes wide open half with fear half with curiosity at the scenes and the TV channel was changed soon because the pictures were too frightful for a baby to watch! I knew that this was done by an American navy in the Gulf and latter when I was fully grown I found that the men of the Vincennes were all awarded combat-action ribbons for what was considered a heroic action: 66 children and a pregnant woman were among the 290 passengers. Thirteen years later two airplanes were crashed into the world trade center, near 3000 were killed, again civilians, the whole world lamented for the lost lives and sympathized with the Americans, two wars were followed in Afghanistan and Iraq, thousands were killed and most of them were civilians.
The first impression was not romantic and delightful but the first impression is not always the last one; I became familiar with American literature, with Gone with the Wind as a teenager (though the beauty of the book was shattered and was gone later when I understood the racial tone behind the beautiful story, but I still love it) and with T.S. Eliot's Waste Land which I never understood fully as a teenager but I loved it anyhow.
When I wanted to decide about my MA in American Studies I was very tentative about the decision, some told me that this major is fully political, on the other hand English literature( I got by BA in English literature) did not satisfy me and I was looking for some thing new. American Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study which contains the study of economics, history, literature, art, media, film and woman studies and combines the methodologies of the literary criticism and historical research; the nature of the major like other interdisciplinary fields is colorful and any one can find a subject of his or her interest. As American studies was developed outside of America other aspects were also added and made connection with cultural studies and post colonial studies.
American Studies outside of America I think has its own limitations and even its own advantages. Iranians can not look to America like Americans, this is the case with Japanese, Chinese or the Arabs.
American Studies in Iran is full of contradictions and paradoxes. So my impression from America as an Iranian inevitably contains all these paradoxes. My first impression and image from America is not Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse or other sweet and delightful images that would be the answer if you ask other children around the world. The first thing that I remember as a five year old child in 1988 was IR655, a civilian airliner shot down by U.S. missile, and the films and pictures of dead bodies of the victims floating in the water, and my eyes wide open half with fear half with curiosity at the scenes and the TV channel was changed soon because the pictures were too frightful for a baby to watch! I knew that this was done by an American navy in the Gulf and latter when I was fully grown I found that the men of the Vincennes were all awarded combat-action ribbons for what was considered a heroic action: 66 children and a pregnant woman were among the 290 passengers. Thirteen years later two airplanes were crashed into the world trade center, near 3000 were killed, again civilians, the whole world lamented for the lost lives and sympathized with the Americans, two wars were followed in Afghanistan and Iraq, thousands were killed and most of them were civilians.
The first impression was not romantic and delightful but the first impression is not always the last one; I became familiar with American literature, with Gone with the Wind as a teenager (though the beauty of the book was shattered and was gone later when I understood the racial tone behind the beautiful story, but I still love it) and with T.S. Eliot's Waste Land which I never understood fully as a teenager but I loved it anyhow.
When I wanted to decide about my MA in American Studies I was very tentative about the decision, some told me that this major is fully political, on the other hand English literature( I got by BA in English literature) did not satisfy me and I was looking for some thing new. American Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study which contains the study of economics, history, literature, art, media, film and woman studies and combines the methodologies of the literary criticism and historical research; the nature of the major like other interdisciplinary fields is colorful and any one can find a subject of his or her interest. As American studies was developed outside of America other aspects were also added and made connection with cultural studies and post colonial studies.
American Studies outside of America I think has its own limitations and even its own advantages. Iranians can not look to America like Americans, this is the case with Japanese, Chinese or the Arabs.
1 comment:
salam khanum, webloge jadid mobarake! in aksaie ghashango az koja peida mikoni?!! wish u all the best!
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