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Library
Resources
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Cultures and Customs
A Pathfinder
SCOPE
This pathfinder will guide you to information about the cultures
of other countries and various cultures within the United States. It is
not a list of the Library's books about individual countries or
multiculturalism, and it does not include any information about Deaf
cultures.
If you need more help, please ask at the Reference Desk.
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
You can find books about cultures of specific countries in the Local
Catalog part of ALADIN by using the following keywords in the
Advanced Search:
- [COUNTRY] AND "NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS"
- [COUNTRY] AND "SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS"
- [COUNTRY] AND ETIQUETTE
- [COUNTRY] AND COOKERY
- "COOKERY INTERNATIONAL"
Two Reference books are also very good:
- David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.
Culturgrams. Chicago, Ill.: Ferguson Publishing, 1996.
(Reference 909.828 C8 1996)
- Arranged by region and then alphabetically. Easy to read
information on history, geography, climate, and customs.
- Lands and Peoples. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 1997. (Reference
910 L36)
- Easy to read, arranged by continent and then by country, with
many photographs.
CROSS-CULTURAL INFORMATION, ARRANGED BY TOPIC
Other books compare the aspects of culture (food, marriage, etc.)
of more than one country or ethnic group:
- Auerbach, Susan. Encyclopedia of multiculturalism. New York,
N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish, 1994. (Reference 306.446 E52 1994)
- Covers ethnic groups, organizations, individuals, events, trends
such as Afrocentrism and bilingualism, and political concepts
such as affirmative action.
- Broude, Gwen J. Growing up: a cross-cultural encyclopedia.
Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1995. (Reference 305.23103 B76g
1995)
- A survey of cultural attitudes on childrearing. Useful to gain
a broad understanding of the possible varieties of customs, not
for in-depth information.
- Broude, Gwen J. Marriage, family, and relationships. Santa
Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1994. (Reference 306.803 B76m 1994)
- A broad survey of attitudes on male/female relationships.
- Cambridge encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1992. (Reference
980.003 C3 1992)
- Horn, Pierre L. Handbook of French popular culture. New
York, N.Y.: Greenwood Press, 1991. (Reference 306.4 H3 1991)
- Covers everything from comics to food to science fiction, with
extensive bibliographies.
- Hirschfelder, Arlene, and de Montano, Martha Kreipe. Native
American almanac: a portrait of Native America today. New York,
N.Y.: Prentice Hall General Reference, 1993. (Reference 973.0497
H57n 1993)
- Arranged by broad topics, such as tribal governments, religion,
games, arts, and economics.
- Kanellos, Nicolas, and Esteva-Fabregat, Claudio. Handbook of
hispanic cultures in the United States: History and Sociology.
Houston, Texas: Arte Publico Press, 1994. (Reference 973.0468 H36)
- Very detailed coverage of hispanic history and life.
- Levinson, David. Ethnic relations: a cross-cultural
encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1994. (Reference
305.8 L48e, 1994)
- Examines cultural differences and the causes of ethnic conflicts
around the world.
- Mabunda, L. Mpho. African American almanac. Detroit, Mich.:
Gale Research, Inc., 1997. (Reference 973.796 A37 1997)
- Arranged by broad topics, including history, organizations,
family, religion, music, sports, and arts.
- Nunez, Benjamin. Dictionary of Afro-Latin American
civilization. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1980. (Reference
980.003 N8d 1980)
- Brief definitions of historical, religious and social terms.
- Salzman, Jack., et al. Encyclopedia of African-American culture
and history. New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1996. (Reference
973.0496 E52 19960
- Multi-volume scholarly work.
- Standish, Peter. Dictionary of twentieth century culture:
hispanic culture of South America. New York, N.Y.: Gale
Research, Inc., 1995. (Reference 306.098 H57 1995)
- Includes brief articles on history, politics, the arts and
popular culture.
- Tenenbaum, Barbara A. Encyclopedia of Latin American history and
culture. New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996.
(Reference 980.003 E52 1996)
- Multi-volume scholarly work.
- Wilson, Charles Regan, and Ferris, William. Encyclopedia of
Southern culture. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North
Carolina Press, 1989. (Reference 975.003 E52)
- Organized by broad topics, such as ethnic life, language,
social class, and women's life.
CULTURES ARRANGED BY ETHNIC GROUP
If you are looking for information about one particular ethnic
group, try these:
- Buenker, John D., and Ratner, Lorman A. Multiculturalism in the
United States: a comparative guide to acculturation and
ethnicity. New York, N.Y.: Greenwood Press, 1992. (Reference
305.8 M8 1992)
- Includes detailed history of each group's homeland, influence on
the United States, and extensive bibliographies.
- Gonen, Amiram. Encyclopedia of the peoples of the world.
New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt & Co., 1993. (Reference 305.8003 E52
1993)
- Especially useful for information about very small groups.
- Leitch, Barbara. A concise dictionary of Indian Tribes of North
America. Algonac, Mich.: Reference Publications, Inc., 1979.
(Reference 970.004 L4c 1979)
- Brief, easy to read, with some photographs.
- Levinson, David, and Ember, Melvin. American immigrant cultures:
builders of a nation. New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster
Macmillan, 1997. (Reference 305.8 A43 1997)
- Includes immigration history, demographics, religion, family
life, arts, and assimilation.
- Magida, Arthur J. How to be a perfect stranger: a guide to
etiquette in other people's religious ceremonies. Woodstock,
Vt.: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1996. (Reference 291.38 H38 1996)
- Explains appropriate behavior at services and ceremonies of
major American religions.
- O'Leary, Timothy, and Levinson, David. Encyclopedia of world
cultures. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall & Co., 1991. (Reference
306.097 E5)
- Very detailed information, especially about family life.
Arranged by region and then by ethnic group.
- Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1981. (Reference 970.004
H3)
- Very detailed multi-volume work, arranged by region and then by
ethnic group.
- Vecoli, Rudolph J. Gale encyclopedia of multicultural
America. New York, N.Y.: Gale Research, Inc., 1995. (Reference
305.8 G34 1995)
- Includes immigration history, relationships with established
American society, acculturation and assimilation, traditions,
cuisine, clothing, language, family relations, religion,
political involvement, contributions by individuals, and
organizations.
- Weekes, Richard V. Muslim peoples: a world ethnographic
survey. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1978. (Reference
305.629 M8 1978)
- Very detailed study of Muslim peoples, arranged by ethnic group.
SELECTED WORLD WIDE WEB SITES
These sites provide links to cultural information:
* * * * * * * * * *
Prepared by Laura Jacobi
Coordinator of Reference and Instruction
June 1998
