Assistant Professor in American Consumer Culture and Cultural Production

The Department of American Studies invites applications for a tenure-track position as assistant professor specializing in the history and politics of the production and consumption of culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. Areas of interest might include the music, fashion, media, or technology industries, with particular focus on their impact on communities in the U.S. South. The department embraces a capacious definition of scholarship and welcomes applicants from traditional disciplines as well as emerging inter- and transdisciplinary fields.

We value a variety of methodological approaches and are especially interested in scholars whose work engages with critical academic conversations, produces public-facing scholarship, and fosters community collaboration. Candidate's research and teaching should align with our departmental mission as outlined on our website (https://americanstudies.unc.edu/). Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in American Studies or a related discipline.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in both research and teaching. They will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their area(s) of expertise as well as one of the core courses in our undergraduate curriculum. The teaching load is two courses per semester (2/2). The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2025.

The American Studies department is home to undergraduate programs in American Studies and in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, as well as a doctoral program in American Studies and a master's degree in Folklore. Our American Studies programs encourage undergraduates to explore the complex, variable, and contested nature of what it means to be American through coursework, fieldwork, and critical and creative projects. Students in American Indian and Indigenous Studies develop an acute understanding of issues involving Indigeneity, colonialism, cross-cultural interaction, diversity, globalization, art, politics, and social justice.

Our students graduate with a comprehension of the dynamics of American culture that prepares them to make a responsible and critical difference in a wide range of professions. Our faculty is a vibrant and committed group of scholars with a wide range of disciplinary expertise and interests that span global, temporal, and local concerns.

Our department and faculty collaborate with multiple units on campus, including the Center for the Study of the American South, the Southern Oral History Program, the Southern Historical Collection at Wilson Library, Carolina Performing Arts, the Ackland Art Museum, and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the flagship institution of a state university system comprising 17 campuses across North Carolina. It is situated in the Research Triangle, an area anchored by the town of Chapel Hill and the cities of Durham and Raleigh, which are home to vibrant intellectual communities at our neighbor institutions, such as Duke University, North Carolina Central University (an HBCU), and North Carolina State University.

This position's purpose is to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their area(s) of expertise as well as one of the core courses in our undergraduate curriculum. The teaching load is two courses per semester (2/2).

The faculty in this position has specialization in the history and politics of the production and consumption of culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. Areas of interest might include the music, fashion, media, or technology industries, with particular focus on their impact on communities in the U.S. South. The department's faculty may exercise a capacious definition of scholarship and traditional disciplines as well as emerging inter- and transdisciplinary fields.

The department values a variety of methodological approaches and is especially interested in scholars whose work engages with critical academic conversations, produces public-facing scholarship, and fosters community collaboration.

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in American Studies or a related discipline. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in both research and teaching.

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To apply, please submit following documents:

A letter of application ,curriculum vitae, - scholarly writing sample (6,000 words max), - research statement (500 words max), - a teaching statement (500 words max), and - a list of three referees with their contact information. Three letters of recommendation will be requested of finalists at a later date. Applications are due by November 11, 2024.

Please upload all necessary documents to the application portal. If you have any search-related questions, feel free to contact the Search Committee Chair. For any technical issues or application portal-related issues, don't hesitate to get in touch with Sujata Paudel at paudels@unc.edu

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost office at (919)-962-1091 or send an email to facultyrecruitment@unc.edu.

Please note: The Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

If you have any questions about the job requirements or the hiring department notify the Department Contact.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.