HRAF 2014 Recap and 2015 Preview
2014 was a busy year for HRAF. In this post, we look back at milestones from the past 12 months as well as take a sneak peek at new things to come in 2015. Probably…
Category Archives: eHRAF Highlights
What eHRAF Can Teach Us About Epidemics and “Customary” Burial Practices
In news reports about the Ebola outbreak, traditional burial practices that involve coming into intimate contact with the corpse have been blamed for spreading the deadly disease. However, these sometimes sensational accounts (“Kissing the Corpses…
HRAF Research on Climate-Related Disasters and Culture
In early October, Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) launched its Advanced Research Center with a 4-year interdisciplinary grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impact of climate-related disasters on culture. Researchers from HRAF and…
West African burial practices: using eHRAF’s Advanced Search
The couple of steps show you how you can search for “West African burial practices” using HRAF’s online ethnographic database. STEP 1. Cultures and Topics Covered in eHRAF World Cultures First become familiar with the…
Ebola Virus and Social Dynamics: eHRAF for Insights into Cultural Practices
In fighting the Ebola virus or any other health threat for that matter, western health officials and researchers need to gain an understanding of the world’s diverse ethnic differences. Rituals for burying and mourning the…
Late Paleoindian Tradition in eHRAF Archaeology
The Late Paleoindian tradition is found in the unglaciated regions of North America from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast and from the Arctic south into the tropical latitudes of Mesoamerica. It occurred from…
Sampling Cultures in eHRAF: A Timesaver
It is rarely necessary to use the entire eHRAF World Cultures for comparative studies. As long as a sample is representative of some well-defined universe of cultures, societies, or archaeological traditions, sampling a sub-set saves…
A Cross-Cultural Search for Edible Insects
This image of an Advanced Search in the eHRAF World Cultures database shows a combination of OCM subjects and keywords that can be used in a cross-cultural study to find ethnographic texts on eating insects, and…
North American Indians Uses of Medicinal Plants
This image of an Advanced Search in the eHRAF World Cultures database shows a combination of OCM subjects and keywords that can be used to find ethnographic texts on traditional healing methods in Native North American…
Traditional Heating Methods for Buildings
This image of an Advanced Search in the eHRAF World Cultures database shows a combination of OCM subjects and keywords that can be used to find ethnographic texts with information on traditional heating methods for houses…