User Guides Subject Guides > Social Sciences Ethnic Studies

This is a guide to selected sources of information on Ethnic Studies available in the URI Libraries. To find additional information, conduct a Subject search in the HELIN Library Catalog using subject headings such as Ethnic Groups, Ethnic Relations, Ethnology Study and Teaching, Emigration and Immigration, African Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, etc.

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General works | Dictionaries and encyclopedias | Statistics | Electronic indexes and resources | Online resources

General works / getting started

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URI Ref. E49 .R33 2000

CCE Ref. E49 .R33 2000

Bankston III, Carl L., et al., eds. Racial and Ethnic Laws in Ameica. 3 vols. 2000

A basic resource from which to begin an investigation into the many and multidisciplinary topics on ethnic relations.

URI Ref. E184 .A1 A385 2003

CCE Ref. E184 .A1 A385 2003

Aguirre, Adalberto. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in America: A Reference Handbook. 2003.

A portrait of U.S. Society, this book documents how the character of diversity has changed from when immigrants from Europe made up the core population in the United States.

URI Ref. E184 .A1 A63448 1997

CCE Ref. E184 .A1 A63448 1997

Levinson, David and Melvin Ember, eds. American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation. 2 vols. 1997.

This set covers 161 non-indgenous cultural groups currently living in the United States. It discusses the unique cultural characteristics of each group including detailed immigration and settlement histories, as well as discrimination experienced by certain groups.

URI Ref. GN307 .C68 2001

CCE Ref. GN307 /C68 2001

Ember, Melvin and Carol Ember, eds. Countries and Their Cultures. 4 vols. 2001.

Beyond being a basic reference source, each entry provides a general understanding of a country and its culture and features a discussion of ethnic relations.

URI Ref. GN307 .E648 1996

CCE Ref. GN307 .E648 1996

Barnard, Alan and Jonathan Spencer, eds. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. 1996.

A guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline which discusses human, social and cultural life in all its diversity and difference.

URI Ref. GN496 .E56 2003

Rudolph, Jr., Joseph, R., ed. Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts. 2003.

A perfect starting point for those seeking general information, this single volume covers 36 major ethnic conflicts with details, historical background, and significance about each conflict.

URI Ref. E184 .A1 G14 2000

Lehman, Jeffrey, ed. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 3 vols. 2000.

This encyclopedia recognizes the history, culture, and contributions of established ethnic groups as well as newer Americans who have been previously overlooked. Certain ethno-religious groups are included as well.

URI Ref. GN307 .I44 1989

Carlisle, Richard, et al, eds. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind. 22 vols.  1989.

The encyclopedia offers easily accessible, jargon-free information on the conditions and customs of the various people of the world.

URI Ref. GN333 .W67 1998

Gall, Thomas L., ed. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. 4 vols.  1998.

Organized by geographic regions and tracing cultural development from prehistory to the present, the emphasis in this encyclopedia focuses on contemporary daily life of over 500 culture groups.

URI Ref. GN495.6 C37 2004

Cashmore, Ernest.  Encyclopedia of Race and Ethnic Studies. 2004.

An authoritative, single-volume reference work on all aspects of race and ethnic studies providing comprehensive coverage on both historical and contemporary issues.

URI Ref. GN 495.6 .D53 2003

Bolaffi, Guido, et al, eds. Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture. 2003.

Up-to-date and easy to use, this book provides the historical background and etymology of a wide number of words related to race, ethnicity and culture.

RI Ref. GN496 .L48 1994

Levinson, David. Ethnic Relations: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia. 1994.

This one volume work covers definitions of terms pertinant to the study of ethnic relations and also profiles 38 contemporary ethnic conflicts.

URI Ref. E184 .A1 H417 2000

Heaton, Tim B., et al. Statistical Handbook on Racial Groups in the United States.  2000.

This volume documents important differences among racial groups (ex. geographic segregation, political representation, and military service) but also points to major similarites among them using government sources.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Academic Search Premier (EBSOhost).

Provides full text articles for scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social services, humanities, education, and ethnic studies. Updated daily. Coverage varies by publication, but generally covers the early-to-mid 1990s to present.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

America: History and Life (ABC-CLIO).

Indexing and abstracts of journal articles and other materials on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.   1964-. Updated monthly.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

ArticleFirst (FirstSearch).

Database of articles from journals covering a wide range of subjects.  1990-. Updated daily.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Historical Abstracts (ABC-CLIO).

Indexing and abstracts of journal articles and other materials on the history of countries other than the United States and Canada from 1450 to the present. 1967-.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

LexisNexis Academic.

News, law, and, business information service. Includes news from national and international newspapers; wire services and articles from hundreds of periodicals; and a number of other reference sources. All sources are full-text. Updated daily.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

National Newspapers (5) (ProQuest).

Indexing, abstracts, and full text of The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. Coverage varies by publication but generally begins in 1980s. Updated daily.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

ProjectMUSE.

Full text coverage of journal titles covering the fields of literature and criticism, history, cultural studies, education, political science, and many others.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Social Services Abstracts (CSA).

Abstracts and indexes current research in social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare,social policy, and community development. Covers over 1,400 journals, including book reviews, plus dissertations. 1980-. Updated monthly.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Sociological Abstracts (CSA).

Abstracts and indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Covers journals plus books, dissertations, and conference papers. 1963-.  Updated monthly.

http://www.ihrc.umn.edu/

Immigration History Research Center.

In partnership with several ethnic communities and agencies, this Website promotes the understanding of the American immigrant experiences.

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html

International Data Base.

The International Data Base (IDB) is a computerized data bank containing statistical tables of demographic and socioeconomic data for 227 countries and areas of the world.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

Library of Congress Country Studies.

This site provides a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political systems, and institutions of countries throughout the world.

http://www.census.gov/

U.S. Census Bureau.

Official government source for a broad range of social, demographic, business, and economic statistics.

http://www.worldethnicity.com/

World Ethnicity News.

This site provides the latest race and ethnicity news and archive from the most comprehensive global news network on the internet.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

The World Fact Book.

Provides the latest and most comprehensive national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies of the world.

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I.D. McGhee 4/05.