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Speech Communication
Resources for Intercultural Communication

Contents:
Searching for Books | Reference Books | Searching for Articles | Web Sites

Resources for Speech Communication


Searching for Books

Use CLICnet, the library's online catalog.

Try searching by Subject under the following headings.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS--ORIGIN
BIRTH CUSTOMS
CLOTHING AND DRESS
DATING (SOCIAL CUSTOMS)
DRINKING CUSTOMS
ETIQUETTE
FASTS AND FEASTS
FESTIVALS
FUNERAL RITES AND CEREMONIES
HOLIDAYS
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS AND RITES
MOURNING CUSTOMS
SEX CUSTOMS
TABLE ETIQUETTE
Also try a Subject search using the subdivision --SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS after the names of places or classes of persons and ethnic groups, for example:
AFRICA--SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
AFRO-AMERICANS--SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
JEWS--SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
UNITED STATES--SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS
Finally, try Subject searches using names of specific traditions or customs.
KWANZAA
HALLOWEEN

If Subject searches don't work, then try Keyword. You can request your terms appear only in the subject or title field by using a s: or t: before them

s:KWANZAA
t:HALLOWEEN

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Reference Books

Reference books are useful for obtaining an overview of your subject, or for verifying facts. They are located in the Reference section of the library, which is visible through the double doors opposite the Circulation Desk.
Customs, Holidays, Religions, etc.
 
GT4803 .A2 B66 1996 The Book of American Traditions: Stories, Customs, and 
Rites of Passage to Celebrate our Cultural Heritage
GT3932 .I27 1970 The Book of Festivals and Holidays the World Over
GT31 .W2 1925 Curiosities of Popular Customs
BJ1853 .P6 1992 Emily Post's Etiquette
BL31 .E46 1987 The Encyclopedia of Religion
F209 .E53 1989 Encyclopedia of Southern Culture
BM50 .E63 1989 The Encyclopedia of Judaism
GR35 .F8 Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend
GT510 .R3313 1988 Historical Encyclopedia of Costumes
GT3930 .T48 1998 Holiday Symbols
"A guide to the legend and lore behind the people, places, food, animals, and other symbols associated with holidays and holy days, feasts and fasts, and other celebrations, covering popular, ethnic, religious, national, and ancient events, as observed in the United States and around the world."
GT3925 .T46 1997 Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary
BJ2010 .M34 1996 How to Be a Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies
BX841 .M63 1994 The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia
BX841 .N44 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia
CE6 .R45 1998 Religious Holidays and Calendars: An Encyclopedic Handbook

Also, don't forget about general encyclopedias like Encyclopedia Americana and the World Book Encyclopedia.

General Reference Works Covering a Variety of Cultures
 
E184 .A1 A63448 1997 American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation
N31 .D5 1996 The Dictionary of Art
Look for particular cultures or ethnic groups in the Index (vol. 34).
HN57 .E58 1993 Encyclopedia of American Social History
See Vol. II, "Ethnic & Racial Subcultures," pp. 655-901;
Vol. III, "Parades, Holidays, and Public Rituals," pp. 1913-1922.
E184 .A1 E58 1994 Encyclopedia of Multiculturalism
GN307 .E53 1991  Encylopedia of World Cultures
E184 .A1 G14 1995 Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America
GN307 .I44 1989  Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind

Reference Works about Specific Geographic Areas or Cultures
 
DT3 .C35 1981 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Africa
DS705 .C35 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of China
DS334.9 .C36 1989 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
F1406 .C36 1992 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean
DS44 .C37 1988 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Middle East and North Africa
DK14 .C35 1982 The Cambridge Encylopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union
DS102.8 .E496 Encyclopedia Judaica
E185 .E54 1996 Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
E185 .E55 Encyclopedia of Black America
F1406 .E53 1996 Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
DS902 .H2864 1983 A Handbook of Korea
DS805 .K633 1983 Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan
E76.2 .N36 1994 Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia

The Reference Collection includes many other sources which you might find useful for researching customs and cultures. Search CLICnet for additional titles, or stop at the Reference Desk for assistance.

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Searching for Articles

Use Academic Search Premier or MasterFILE Premier to locate articles. Try searching for the name of the country or cultural group, or for the names of individual holidays or customs.


Web Sites for Intercultural Communication

Society and Culture at Yahoo
Yahoo allows you to browse Web resources by subject, and includes pages for Cultures and Holidays.
The Web of Culture
"Designed to educate and entertain on the topic of cross-cultural communications." Includes information about holidays and other topics, like gestures ("The DO's and TABOOs of Body Language Around the World").
The Multi-Cultural Home Page
WWW Hmong Homepage
Fantastic "collection of resources relating to Hmong history, culture, language and current events.
HotBot or AltaVista search engines
If all else fails, you could try searching the Web by keyword using HotBot. Warning: You may retrieve a HUGE, unwieldy amount of information!
St. Kate's Libraries Webpage on Country Information sources.

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