Talk: "The Decline of the West: An American Story"

Dr. Michael Kimmage

"The Decline of the West" will address the rise and fall in affiliation with the West among educated Americans, starting with the early years of the Cold War, when the West was a concept robustly embraced by many Americans, and concluding with the 1980s and 1990s when this same concept grew less salient and more politicized. By sketching the historical career of this concept, this talk will also assess the multiple meanings Americans have attributed to "the West."