American Selfie: Studying the National Character

This article sums up the tradition and evolution of studies of American character, updating it with twenty-first-century examples. Particular attention applies to the surge of studies from the 1950s–1980s, when ideas of change were introduced, as well as developments and opportunities in more recent work. Primary goals are: maintaining and embellishing an interesting interdisciplinary tradition; dealing with the ongoing tension between continuity and change; and urging some attention to national character patterns (and their complexities) in orienting further projects in contemporary historical research.