Belief in the supernatural is a cultural universal. While there is considerable variation in supernatural belief systems across cultures, some form of belief in gods, spirits, and similar phenomena occurs in all cultures. George Peter…
The phenomenon of romantic kissing continues to fascinate people around the world. While people in western societies often take for granted the notion that romantic partners express their desire for one another through open-mouthed kissing,…
The special relationship between dogs and humans is endlessly fascinating. For many of us, dogs are at the center of our homes and hearts. However, most of what we know about dog-human bonds, dog behavior,…
Why do people in some societies dress in uniform or standardized ways, whereas in other societies individuals display considerable variability in dress? Tentative answers to this question will appear as an article titled “Uniformity in…
Our second NSF-supported Summer Institute for Cross-Cultural Anthropological Research was held on the Yale University campus this summer. It was an intense and exciting three weeks for the instructors and the 12 participants that included…
In an article for National Public Radio (NPR) titled Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here’s a solution: alloparents, Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD looks at the practice of alloparenting across cultures. Doucleff…
By Francine Barone From pop culture to evolutionary psychology, we have come to take kissing for granted as universally desirable among humans and inseparable from other aspects of affection and intimacy. However, a recent article…
A new topical summary on Marriage and Family is now available in Explaining Human Culture, our open access database that summarizes the results of over 1,000 cross-cultural studies. This EHC summary is co-authored by HRAF President Carol R.…
The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is pleased to announce a one-year internship in honor of Melvin Ember. Melvin Ember was President of HRAF from 1987 until his death in 2009. The…
The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is pleased to announce that eHRAF World Cultures now contains matching focal documents for all Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS) cases. The Standard Cross-Cultural Sample was created…