Research Guides: WRIT106 Food Ethnographies : Home

Welcome to Your WRIT106 Guide on Food Subcultures

Welcome to your library research guide! Use this guide to help you discover resources for your food ethnography research project, particularly your secondary source reflection assignment. When searching for information contained within the following resources and materials, remember to always be thinking about these questions from your assignment:

What is the larger, general focus of this article?
What is the more specific, particular idea presented by the author/authors in this work that seems relevant to your research?
How does this idea connect with your primary research (field notes)?
Where do you think this connection could lead your activity in your field site and/or writing as you proceed during the course of this semester?
Finally, why is this author/source credible?

Engaging Communities: Writing Ethnographic Research
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Library Research Worksheet

Conducting Your Research

Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia
Call Number: e-book
Publication Date: 2011
Covers food culture from more than 150 countries. In 4 volumes. Africa & the Middle East (v.1), the Americas (v.2), Asia (v.3) and Europe (v.4)
The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson; Tom Jaine (Editor)
Call Number: e-book
Publication Date: 2014-10-01
Encyclopedia covering food from around the world.
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
Call Number: REF GT2850 .E53
Publication Date: 2002
This source explores the nutritional and cultural impact of food, with articles written by anthropologists, chefs, food historians, nutritionists, agronomists, food stylists, and other food researches.
Countries and Their Cultures
Publication Date: 2001
A team of anthropologists and social scientists have taken a close look at more than 200 countries to document the myriad ways in which culture -- every bit as much as geographic borders -- defines and separates the nations of the world.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
Publication Date: 2009
Provides information on the cultures of the world, covering different areas of daily life including clothing, food, language and religion.
Eating Culture by Gillian Crowther
Call Number: eBook (2nd Edition) and Print (1st Edition, GN407 .C76 2013)
ISBN: 9781442604650
Publication Date: 2013-09-26
Second edition available as an eBook, First edition available in print. Overview that illustrates the important role that anthropology and anthropologists have played in understanding food. Organized around the sometimes elusive concept of cuisine and the public discourse--on gastronomy, nutrition, sustainability, and culinary skills--that surrounds it, this practical guide to anthropological method and theory brings order and insight to our changing relationship with food.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
Reference e-books representing a variety of subject areas including anthropology, business, history, law, literature, medicine, and science. Full text.

Sprague Library Catalog

US Newsstream
US Newsstream provides access to over 1,000 news sources with coverage stretching back into the 1980s. These sources include the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal.
Britannica Academic
Contains the text of the Encyclopaedia Britannica plus additional articles & images. Includes Britannica's World Data Analyst & World Atlas. Full text.
Academic Video Online
Streaming video titles spanning subjects including, but not limited to: anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history and music. Over 14,000 videos are exclusive.

Anthrosource
Covers current issues of several American Anthropological Association publications and provides access to archival content in JSTOR. Full text.
Sociology Collection
Search Sociological Abstracts, ASSIA and Sociology Database simultaneously. Save time!
JSTOR
Collection of multidisciplinary academic journals, books and primary sources. Recent issues not always available. Full text.
ProQuest Central
Multidisciplinary database covering many subject areas. Includes scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports & videos.
HRAF - Human Relations Area Files
Full text database of ethnographic and cultural materials.

Database A-Z List
Our Library subscribes to over 200 databases. See the complete list here.

CIA World Factbook (U.S. Central Intelligence)
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Profiles of every nation in the world. Each profile includes demographic, political, and economic data.
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Statistical information on each country includes land and water area, boundaries, elevations, population, birth & death rates, life expectancy, ethnic groups, GDP, inflation rate, unemployment rate, exports, imports, transportation, the military and more.
BBC News Country Profiles
History, politics, and economic background; includes audio or video clips from BBC archives.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States.
The Sifter
A publicly available database, useful for finding and comparing historical and contemporary writing on food and food-related topics.
What's on the Menu?
Maintained by the New York Public Library, this site is a repository of restaurant menus dating as far back as 1850.

See below a number of podcasts relating to food culture, history, and society.