LibGuides: Culture Research: Suggested Reference Sources

Reference Sources

Reference sources can be excellent ways to introduce you to various cultural research. There are a wide variety of reference sources including encyclopedias and handbooks, some focusing on a particular subject or geographic region.

If you are researching a particular country, we have some suggested Country Research Resources which provide profiles that may include relevant information when researching a country's culture.

Below are some examples of reference resources that you can find in print or online through the Bentley Library. Additional reference works can be found by searching the catalog or online eBook collections.

Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa by Andrea L. Stanton (Editor); Edward Ramsamy (Editor); Peter J. Seybolt (Editor); Carolyn M Elliott (Editor)
Call Number: Reference Stacks HM626 .C843 2012 [4 volumes]
Publication Date: 2012
The four volumes present concise information on the Middle East, Asia and Africa, conveying what daily life is like for people in these selected regions. Entries will aid readers in understanding the importance of cultural sociology, to appreciate the effects of cultural forces around the world, and to learn the history of countries and cultures within these important regions.
Religion and Everyday Life and Culture by Richard D. Hecht (Editor); Vincent F. Biondo (Editor)
Call Number: Reference Stacks BL74 .R36 2010 [3 volumes]
Publication Date: 2010
This intriguing three-volume set explores the ways in which religion is bound to the practice of daily life and how daily life is bound to religion.
The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture by Janet L. Sturman (Editor)
Call Number: Reference Stacks ML3916 .S34 2019 [5 volumes]
Publication Date: 2019
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Music and Culture presents key concepts in the study of music in its cultural context and provides an introduction to the discipline of ethnomusicology, its methods, concerns, and its contributions to knowledge and understanding of the world′s musical cultures, styles, and practices.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture [eBook] by Gale Editor (Editor)
Call Number: Available online via Gale eBooks
Publication Date: 2013
The St. James Encyclopedia Of Popular Culture, 2nd ed., covers topics and persons in major areas of popular culture: film; music; print culture; social life; sports; television and radio; and art and performance (which include theater, dance, stand-up comedy, and other live performance).
World Food: an Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence from Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization by Mary Ellen Snodgrass
Call Number: Reference Stacks TX349 .S66 2013 [2 volumes]
Publication Date: 2012
This multicultural and interdisciplinary reference brings a fresh social and cultural perspective to the global history of food, foodstuffs, and cultural exchange from the age of discovery to contemporary times.
Marriage Customs of the World by George P. Monger
Call Number: Reference Stacks GT2690 .M65 2013 [2 volumes]
ISBN: 9781598846638
Publication Date: 2013
This book presents a comprehensive overview of global courtship and marriage customs, from ancient history to contemporary society, demonstrating the vast differences as well as the similarities across all of human culture.

Additional Collections of Online Reference Sources

Gale EBooks This link opens in a new window
Gale EBooks provides digital reference books on topics such as business, the environment, history, literature, geography, science, sociology, and technology. Search the database, or browse by collection or title.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences Online This link opens in a new window
The International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, published by Elsevier, "provides authoritative, foundational, interdisciplinary knowledge across the wide range of behavioral and social sciences fields and discusses history, current trends and future directions."
Salem Press History This link opens in a new window
Salem Press History provides online access to historical information with an emphasis on, but not limited to, American events. Electronic books include encyclopedias on immigration, economic history, and American history by decade, as well as U.S. and world primary source documents.