Human Relations Area Files

Thanks, but no thanks: Expressions of gratitude in eHRAF World Cultures

During the end-of-year “holiday season” throughout much of the Western world, we are often reminded to be grateful for the things that we have, and even to go out of our way to be gracious…

Support HRAF through a tax-deductible donation

For over 70 years, the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) has been fulfilling our mission to promote understanding of cultural diversity and commonality in the past and present. To accomplish this mission, HRAF produces scholarly…

Towards an Anthropology of Fear: are some things universally terrifying?

As All Hallow’s Eve approaches, it’s once again the time of year for ghastly ghouls, wicked witches and terrifying things that go bump in the night. From haunted houses to headless horsemen, there are many…

HRAF Global Scholarship Program 2019

As part of our philanthropic outreach efforts, the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is offering the HRAF Global Scholarship program which has been established with the goal of expanding access to eHRAF World…

The Return of the Comparative Method in Anthropology

Where Have All the Comparisons Gone?, a recently published series from the Society for Cultural Anthropology, revisits a longstanding topic in the social sciences: the debate over the value of comparative cultural studies. In this…