California Studies

The origins of the Center for California Studies, and indeed its name, stem from the conviction that a real understanding of California’s government, politics and public policies is not possible without an awareness of the state’s non-political facets.  Indeed, the Center’s basic goals include:

To inspire an understanding and appreciation of California and its history, cultures, economy and demographics by promoting the interdisciplinary field of California Studies and enriching Center projects with a sense of California Studies.

Unlike many conventional university-based research and public policy institutes, the Center has always maintained an interdisciplinary foundation for its activities and shunned an overriding approach that focuses on a single discipline or policy concern.  Center activities involve and are enriched by historians and political scientists, poets and artists, policy makers and policy critics, economists and biologists.  In so doing, the Center hopes to increase appreciation for the richness of California.

The Center’s goals in California Studies are to:

• Actively seek opportunities to bring an interdisciplinary California Studies perspective to other Center activities and, more broadly, to the Center’s public constituencies;
• Strengthen the Center’s role as an important and visible factor in the field of California Studies through conferences, seminars and support of related projects, centers and institutes, especially within the CSU;
• Create opportunities to fill demands for California related data, research resources and educational materials; and
• To inspire an understanding and appreciation of California and its history, cultures, economy and demographics by promoting the interdisciplinary field of California Studies and enriching Center projects with a sense of California Studies.

The Center’s California Studies projects, programs and activities include:

• Annual Envisioning California Conference
• California Journalism Awards
• California Elections Data Archive (CEDA)
• California Legacy Project
• Legislative Oral History Program

Additionally, the Center actively pursues opportunities to support other California Studies activities and events such as the Sacramento Juneteenth Celebrations.