Sociology 325: Couples, Family, & Friendship (Thomas)

Getting Started

First, do some quick research on your group.  Google them!  If there is a Wiki entry - great - get some basic information:

  • What country/countries does your group live in (sometimes a group is located in several countries and sometimes reference books organize information about groups by country)?
  • What names (ethonyms) are they known by?  For example, the Yanomami can also be called: Yanomama, Yanomamo, Yanoama, Waica... Are there subgroups? What are their names?
  • If there is a Wiki article on your group, check out the "Further Reading" section at the end of the article to find other sources.

Reference Books

These books often have chapters on culture groups that include information on kinship, marriage, etc.   

The first two in the list (**) are the best for cultures that exist today. 

 

Existing Cultures

Existing and Historical Cultures

Historical Cultures

Databases for Ethnographies & Culture Information of Existing Groups

Databases for Historical Culture Groups

Searching for more books & articles in the library's catalog and Google Scholar

Use the search box on the Library's home page OR Google Scholar (via the link on the library databases page so you can connect to UNM resources) to search for your culture group's name.  Also try searching the culture group's name with the words:

  • culture
  • ethnography
  • family
  • kinship
  • social life and customs

OR add a more specific term related to something you want to know about the group, e.g. marriage.