9/11 and the Academy

This book explores the impact of September 11, 2001 upon interdisciplinary scholarship and pedagogy in the liberal arts. Since "the day that changed everything", many forces have transformed institutions of higher education in the United States and around the world. The editors and contributors consider the extent to which the influence of 9/11 was direct, or part of wider structural changes within academia, and the chapters represent a wide range of interdisciplinary perspectives on how the production and dissemination of knowledge has changed since 2001. Some authors demonstrate that new forms of inquiry, exploration, and evidence have been created, much of it focused on the causes, consequences, and meanings of the terror attacks. Others find that scholars sought to understand 9/11 by applying old theoretical and empirical insights and reviving lines of questioning that have become relevant. The contributors also examine the impact of 9/11 on higher education administration and liberal arts pedagogies. Among the many collective findings is that scholars in the humanities and critical social sciences have been most attentive to the place of 9/11 in society and academic culture. This eclectic collection will appeal to students and scholars interested in the place of the liberal arts in the twenty-first century world.

Foreword; Alice Greenwald.- Chapter 1. Setting the Unsettled: An introduction to 9/11 and the Academy; Matthew Shannon.- Chapter 2. Changed Worlds? American Studies, Trauma Studies, and September 11, 2001; Christine Muller.- Chapter 3. Psychology confronts 9/11: Explanations, shortcomings and challenges; Robert Demski.- Chapter 4. Religious Studies and September 11, 2001: Religion and power in the ruins; Tam Parker.- Chapter 5. Media Studies: Why 9/11 and digital media pose new problems and opportunities for the study of news; Mark Finney.- Chapter 6. Spectacle, trauma and patriotism: Media and Media Studies in the aftermath of 9/11; Chiara Ferrari.- Chapter 7. Studying the Presidency after 9/11: Re-considering presidential character in domestic and international contexts; Stephen Farnsworth.- Chapter 8. Re-inventing the Heart of Darkness for the 21st century: African studies and the War on Terror since 9/11; Matthew Unangst.- Chapter 9. Growth and uncertainty: The impact of 9/11 intelligence and national security studies; Joseph Fitsanakis.- Chapter 10. International Education in the 21st century: Lessons learned from 9/11 and cautious hope for the future; Celeste Gaia and Marcelo Leite.- Chapter 11. Teaching 9/11 in the core curriculum; Joseph Lane and Mark Finney.- Chapter 12. 9/11 and the 'Memory Boom'; Samantha Ball.