Center for the Study of the American South
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The Center for the Study of the American South (CSAS) is an academic organization dedicated to the study of "southern history, literature, and culture as well as ongoing social, political, and economic issues" at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[1]
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[edit] History
The CSAS was the brainchild of a working group of faculty at UNC's Institute for Research in Social Science, a group that included IRSS director John Shelton Reed (William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at UNC) and David Moltke-Hansen (curator of the Southern Historical Collection at UNC's Wilson Library). This group recognized the value of an umbrella organization that could help professors researching Southern Studies to communicate, collaborate, and combine resources. They presented their idea to the UNC Board of Governors, which established the CSAS in 1992 with Reed as acting director, until he was succeeded by Moltke-Hansen. Harry Watson professor of History at UNC, has been the director of the CSAS since 1999.[2]
[edit] Mission statement
The stated mission of the CSAS is
| “ | to extend the historic role of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the world's premier institution for research, teaching, and public dialogue on the history, culture, and contemporary experience of the American South. The Center is the University's primary vehicle to promote initiatives in this tradition of regional service and scholarship.[3] | ” |
[edit] Primary activities
The primary focus of the CSAS is supporting inter-departmental research within UNC, followed by the dissemination of the fruits of said research. As such, the Center funds and promotes many activities, including paying for travel to and from Southern Studies related conferences to Southern Cultures, a quarterly newspaper that reports on historical and current events in Southern culture.
[edit] Research
Over 60 UNC faculty members are associated with the CSAS, covering the following research fields such as African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Archeology, Creative Writing, English Studies, Folklore, Geography, History, Music, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Sociology. An example collaboration is Philip F. Gura (American Studies), who studies Banjo in the nineteenth century, and Jocelyn R. Neal (Music), who studies country music and dance.
In addition, the CSAS hosts professors from outside universities, including Timothy McCarthy from Harvard University, and Norio Hirose from the School of Law at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya, providing them with complete access to UNC's resources and professors to aid in collaborative research.
[edit] Public awareness
In addition to Southern Studies, the CSAS organizes, funds, and supports several venues for the exposition and study of southern culture. The CSAS Program for Public Life, for example, is a group dedicated to raising public awareness of political issues vital to the Southern United States.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Center for the Study of the American South. UNC Center for the Study of the American South. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Center for the Study of the American South Factfinder (PDF). UNC Office of University Development. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Center Mission. UNC Center for the Study of the American South. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Program on Public Life. UNC Center for the Study of the American South. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
