LibGuides: Anthropology & Sociology Guide: Topic Overviews

Sociology-Specific Resources

21st Century Sociology: a Reference Handbook by Clifton D. Bryant (Editor); Dennis L. Peck (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412916080
Publication Date: 2006-11-17
This two-volume set focuses on the corpus of knowledge garnered in traditional areas of sociological inquiry, as well as document the general orientation of the newer and currently emerging areas of sociological inquiry.
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, 11 Volume Set by George Ritzer (Editor)
ISBN: 9781405124331
Publication Date: 2007-01-23
Entries range from short definitions of key terms to extended explorations of major topics and key concepts in the field of sociology. Also includes sociological theories and research that have developed outside of the United States and Western Europe.
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)
ISBN: 9781412981767
Publication Date: 2012-01-05
These volumes will aid readers in efforts to understand 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.
Encyclopedia of Social Theory by George Ritzer (Editor)
ISBN: 0761926119
Publication Date: 2004-08-19
The Encyclopedia of Social Theory is an indispensable reference source for anyone interested in the roots of contemporary social theory. It examines the global landscape of all the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Theories covered include • Critical Theory • Enlightenment • Ethnomethodology • Exchange Theory • Feminism • Marxist Theory • Multiculturalism • Phenomenology • Postmodernism • Rational Choice • Structural Fundamentalism
Encyclopedia of Sociology Research by Miranda O. Parker (Editor); Alexander D. Petrov (Editor)
ISBN: 9781613246689
Publication Date: 2012 -09-01
Topics discussed include social capital, entrepreneurial capital and economic growth; disruption of social development in children with autism spectrum disorders; children's social interactions in cultural context; everyday theorizing and the construction of knowledge; participation, pedagogy and practice in design education; community participation in formulating sustainable forest policy; increasing the economic sustainability of online communities and a comparison between theoretical and naive definitions of community.

Anthropology-Specific Resources

21st Century Anthropology: a Reference Handbook by H. James Birx (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412957380
Publication Date: 2010-06-10
Highlights the most important anthropology topics, issues, questions, and debates in the 21st Century. Includes applied anthropology, archaeology and paleontology, sociocultural anthropology, evolution, linguistics, physical and biological anthropology, and primate studies.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Anthropology
ISBN: 9780190854584
Substantive, peer-reviewed, and regularly updated, the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication combines the speed and flexibility of digital with the rigorous standards of academic publishing.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology by Alan Barnard (Editor); Jonathan Spencer (Editor)
ISBN: 9780203866474
Publication Date: 2009-12-04
Written by leading scholars in the field, this comprehensive and readable resource gives anthropology students a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. Combining anthropological theory and ethnography, it includes 275 substantial entries, over 300 short biographies of important figures in anthropology, and nearly 600 glossary items.
Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology by R. Jon McGee (Editor); Richard L. Warms (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412999632
Publication Date: 2013-09-27
Two volumes containing approximately 335 signed entries provide users with the most authoritative and thorough reference resource available on anthropology theory, both in terms of breadth and depth of coverage. To ease navigation between and among related entries, a Reader′s Guide groups entries thematically and each entry is followed by Cross-References.

Collections of Topic Overview Resources

The links below consist of collections of many reference resources on a wide variety of topics. As a result, you can do a search not just in a single encyclopedia, but all the encyclopedias related to a particular topic, or even all the encyclopedias in the vast collection. And, unlike Wikipedia, you'll know that the article was written by an expert on that topic.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Over 500 online reference sources on every major subject.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Credo Reference is an online reference solution for learners and librarians. Offering more than 500 highly-regarded titles from over 70 publishers, Credo Reference covers every major subject from the world's best publishers of reference.

Format: Full Text Books, Reference Sources
Dates of Coverage: Varies
Update Schedule: Ongoing
Database Producer: Credo Reference
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Online access to over 3,000 reference books in all subject areas.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Gale eBooks (formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)) provides online access to over 3,000 reference books in all subject areas.

Format: Full Text Books
Database Producer: Gale Cengage.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Full text of 400 dictionaries, general reference, language reference, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: General

Oxford Reference combines Oxford Reference Online and Oxford Digital Reference Shelf to provide full text of 400 dictionaries, general reference, language reference, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press. Link directly to:

* Encyclopedia
* Maps
* Names & Places
* Quotations

Format: Full Text Books
Database Producer: Oxford University Press
Reference Universe This link opens in a new window
Database of article titles and back-of-the-book indexes for subject encyclopedias and reference works.
Off Campus Access: Authenticate with your MyDenison login.

Subject Areas: Library Science

Reference Universe is an updated database of article titles and back-of-the-book indexes for subject encyclopedias and reference works.

Find the most relevant, authoritative reference works of interest to you. The best way to use Reference Universe is to simply type your term or phrase of interest and note the works that are returned in the order of greatest number of hits. Make sure you check the link to see if your library holds the work.

Format: Index to Reference Books
Dates of Coverage: Varies
Update Schedule: Updated every two weeks
Database Producer: Paratext

Race/Ethnicity-Specific Resources

Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture by Guido Bolaffi (Editor); Raffaele Bracalenti (Editor); Peter H. Braham (Editor); Sandro Gindro (Editor)
ISBN: 0761968997
Publication Date: 2002-12-26
The Dictionary provides the historical background and etymology of a wide range of words related to these concepts, looking at discourses of race, ethnicity and culture from a broadly multicultural perspective.
Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies by Ellis Cashmore (Editor)
ISBN: 0203380703
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
From Aboriginal Australians to xenophobia, Nelson Mandela to Richard Wagner, sexuality to racial profiling, the Encyclopedia is organized alphabetically and reflects cultural diversity in a global context. The entries range from succinct 400 word definitions to in-depth 2000 word essays to provide comprehensive coverage of: all the key terms, concepts and debates important figures, both historical and contemporary landmark cases historical events.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by Angela Doolin (Editor)
ISBN: 9780028661742
Publication Date: 2013-02-15
Examines the anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, and scientific theories of race and racism in the modem era. Delves into the historic origins of ideas of race and racism and explores their social and scientific consequences. Includes biographies of significant theorists, as well as political and social leaders and notorious racists.
Ethnic Groups of Europe by Jeffrey E. Cole (Editor)
ISBN: 9781598843026
Publication Date: 2011-05-25
This volume contains more than 100 descriptions of ethnic and national groups in Europe, as well as a number of sidebars highlighting related issues. Each entry provides a capsule summary of a group followed by an account of origins and early history, cultural life, and recent developments.
People of Color in the United States by Kofi Lomotey (Editor); Paulina X. Ruf (Editor); Pamela Braboy Jackson (Editor); Valire Carr Copeland (Editor); Alvaro Huerta (Editor); Norma V. Iglesias-Prieto (Editor); Donathan L. Brown (Editor); Muna Adem (Editor); Felicia Helvey
ISBN: 9781610698542
Publication Date: 2016-10-17
This work offers critical coverage of contemporary issues that impact people of color in the United States, ranging from education and employment to health and wellness and immigration.

Gender-related Resources

Encyclopedia of Gender in Media by Mary E. Kosut (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412990790
Publication Date: 2012-05-18
Examines the role of the media in enabling, facilitating, or challenging the social construction of gender in our society.
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender by Fedwa Malti-Douglas (editor)
ISBN: 9780028659602
Publication Date: 2007-08-23
Addresses issues of sex and gender at the personal and the social level; examines issues of identity, status, class, ethnicity, race, and nation; of sexuality and the body; of social institutions and the structures of representation.
Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender by Amy D. Lykins (editor)
ISBN: 9783319595313
Publication Date: 2020
This Encyclopedia contains five sections: Sexual Behavior; Sexual Orientation; Relationships and Reproduction; Gender; Sexuality and Gender Science.
Gender Studies: Interdisciplinary Research Primer by Macmillan (Editor)
ISBN: 9780028662817
Publication Date: 2016-03-11
This book serves as a primer to the study of gender, including women’s, queer, and men’s studies. By employing literature, film, art, history, and other disciplines, it identifies areas of critical thought and practice in gender and sexuality studies; provides an overview of central themes, current topics, and seminal debates; and offers resources for further research.
Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities by Michael S. Kimmel (Editor); Jeff R. Hearn (Editor); Raewyn W. Connell (Editor)
ISBN: 0761923691
Publication Date: 2004-07-20
The Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities is an interdisciplinary and international culmination of the growth of men′s studies that also offers insight about future directions for the field. The Handbook provides a broad view of masculinities primarily across the social sciences, with the inclusion of important debates in some areas of the humanities and natural sciences. The various approaches presented in this Handbook range across different disciplines, theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and conceptualizations in relation to the topic of men.
The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Psychology by Michelle K. Ryan (Editor); Nyla R. Branscombe (Editor)
ISBN: 9781446203071
Publication Date: 2013-10-16
This handbook synthesizes the known work, combined with current research trends, in the broad field of gender and psychology. Multiple perspectives and methodologies are presented to understand gender and its implications for behavior.
Women in American History by Peg A. Lamphier (Editor); Rosanne Marie Welch (Editor)
ISBN: 9781610696029
Publication Date: 2017-01-23
Offering comprehensive coverage of women of a diverse range of cultures, classes, ethnicities, religions, and sexual identifications, this set identifies the many ways in which women have helped to shape and strengthen the United States.

Sexuality-related Resources

Intimacies by William R. Jankowiak (Editor)
ISBN: 9780231508766
Publication Date: 2008-02-18
The pursuit of love and sex has generated an infinite number of ambiguities and contradictions, yet every community hopes to find a resolution to this conflict either by joining, dividing, or stressing one act over the other. This work examines how different cultures rationalize the expression of passionate and comfort love and physical sex.
Love and Globalization by Robert Sember (Editor); Richard G. Parker (Editor); Mark B. Padilla (Editor); Jennifer S. Hirsch (Editor); Miguel Munoz-Laboy (Editor)
ISBN: 9780826515841
Publication Date: 2008-01-25
In this volume, anthropologists and sociologists draw on long-term ethnographic research on love, gender, and sexuality in a broad range of regions to discuss how global forces shape marriage, commercial sex, the political economy of intimacy, and lesbian and gay expressions of companionship.
Sexology and Translation by Heike Bauer (Editor)
ISBN: 9781439912508
Publication Date: 2015-10-01
Sexology and Translation examines the shape and shaping of sexual ideas and related scientific practices and cultural representations in parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America between the late nineteenth century and the period leading up to World War II. It brings together historians, literary and cultural critics, and translation scholars who explore how the textual and real encounters between an international band of writers, reformers, and medical doctors shaped ideas about “sex” across the modern world.
Reproduction and Society: Interdisciplinary Readings by Carole Joffe (Editor); jennifer Reich (Editor)
ISBN: 9780415731034
Publication Date: 2014-09-25
Divided into six rich and varied sections, this book offers students and instructors a broad overview of the social meanings of reproduction and offers opportunities to explore significant questions of how resources are allocated, individuals are regulated, and how very much is at stake as people and communities aim to determine their own family size and reproductive experiences.

Family/Relationship-related Resources

International handbook on the demography of marriage and the family by D. Nicole Farris (editor); A.J.J. Bourque (editor)
ISBN: 3030350797
Publication Date: 2020
Encyclopedia of Human Relationships by Harry T. Reis (Editor); Susan Sprecher (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412958462
Publication Date: 2009-03-25
The Encyclopedia of Human Relationships offers an interdisciplinary view of all types of human associations—friends, lovers, spouses, roommates, coworkers, teammates, parents and children, cousins, siblings, acquaintances, neighbors, business associates, and so forth. Although each of these connections is unique in some respect, they share a common core of principles and processes.
Transition to Parenthood by Roudi Nazarinia Roy; Walter R. Schumm; Sonya L. Britt
ISBN: 9781461477679
Publication Date: 2013-09-11
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary handbook boasting findings across traditional areas of study, Transition to Parenthood brings the contemporary family into clear, useful focus. Its expert coverage tracks current trends in family structures, roles, and dynamics, and explores the impact of individual members and the environment on the family unit.
Marriage Customs of the World by George P. Monger
ISBN: 9781598846638
Publication Date: 2013-04-09
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.

"Social Problems"

American Homelessness: A Reference Handbook (2001)
This work provides facts, theories, and information about issues related to homelessness.
Crime, Prisons and Jails (2014)
This volume focuses on the social and moral issues surrounding crime, prisons, and jails.

Work and Economics-related Resources

Poverty in America: A Handbook (2013)
This work historically contextualizes trends in understanding and addressing poverty, both in the United States and globally.

Nationalism, Globalism, and World Cultures

Encyclopedia of World Cultures (2002)
This reference set lists and describes more than 1,500 global cultures. Based on research of social scientists, it is the source for historical, social, political, economic, linguistic, religious, and other information on virtually every existing culture. Also available in print format at GN307 .E53.
Encyclopedia of World Cultures - Supplement (2002)
This reference set lists and describes more than 1,500 global cultures. Based on research of social scientists, it is the source for historical, social, political, economic, linguistic, religious, and other information on virtually every existing culture.

Anthropology & Sociology Guide

What About Wikipedia?

Finding Additional Topic Overview Resources in the Library