Kate Ratcliff—American Studies
Teaching Philosophy
"I want my students to understand the inherently creative nature of historical study," Kate Ratcliff says. "History is not simply a matter of learning what happened in the past; it is a process of selecting, ordering and interpreting past events and experiences. I want students to see that they have a stake in that process. The stories we tell about the past shape the way we perceive the present and envision the future."
A graduate of Colgate University, Kate earned her Master’s in Literature from the University of Minnesota before deciding to work on a doctorate in American Studies. Her move to American Studies was sparked by an interest in interdisciplinary work. "In an age of specialization," she says, "what’s often lost is a sense of the way things fit together."
Research Interests
The study of American history and culture has been revitalized in recent decades by an infusion of new voices and perspectives, says Kate. Her own doctoral work is a study of the rise of the American suburb and the emergence of a new middle class culture in the late 19th and 20th centuries, examining changes in family life and gender roles during the transition from the Victorian Age to a secular, consumer-oriented society.
B.A., Colgate University, 1980; M.A., University of Minnesota, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1989; University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, 1987 - 1988; Marlboro College, 1989 -