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The Global Missions Department

Presents

Human Relations Area Files

A not-for-profit organization at Yale University

HRAF Collection of Ethnography

Available as microfiche and as electronic database

HRAFLearning to work efficiently and accurately with the HRAF Collection of Ethnography

Introduction

A unique source of information on the cultures of the world.

Over 800,000 pages of indexed info.

400 different cultural, ethnic, religious, and national groups around the world.

Objectives of this Presentation

To appreciate its usability as a tool in cross-discipline research

To understand the research capabilities of the HRAF Collection of Ethnography

HRAF Files

eHRAF Collection of Ethnography (Internet)http://ets.umdl.umich.edu/e/ehrafe

HRAF Collection of Ethnography (Microfiche)See the AGTS library staff for assistance

Additional Resources at HRAF’s Home Page http://www.yale.edu/hraf

Documents

Organized according to geographic regions Outline of World Cultures (OWC)

Indexed according to subjects and topics Outline of Cultural Materials (OCM) 710 subjects Grouped into 83 major subject divisions Within each major subject division, 5 or more

specific categories are assigned

Outline of Cultural Materials (OCM)Example of Subject Categories

770 Religious Beliefs 771 General Character of Religion 772 Cosmology 773 Mythology 774 Animism 775 Eschatology 776 Spirits and Gods 777 Luck and Chance 778 Sacred Objects and Places 779 Theological Systems

Outline of World Cultures (OWC)Example of Culture Codes

Cultures are organized according to geographic regions. For example the “A” in the OWC “AR07 Khasi” stands for Asia.

Geographic RegionsA = Asia E = EuropeF = Africa N = North AmericaO = Oceania R = RussiaS = South AmericaM = Middle East & North Africa

Selection of cultures on the basis of:

Maximum cultural diversity

Maximum geographical dispersal

Adequacy of literature

The Documents are:

Largely descriptive rather than theoretical

Ethnographic in Nature:Consists of a detailed description of

culture, community or regionWritten by competent researchers or

observers in prolonged residence

Miscellaneous OCM Subject Categories

Broader, abstract categories

Descriptive detail about artifacts employed as means in a particular society

Symbolic or ideational behavior

Organized social relationships and groups

Citations

A complete bibliographic reference for each document

Located at beginning of each document

May be reached from every page header in a document via hyperlink

Cultural Summary

Each culture included has a cultural summary

These can be searched for cross-cultural traits such as . . . The culture’s demography Discussion of the culture’s population and its

variance Linguistic affiliation: main language and related

dialects

History and Cultural Relations

A basic outline of a culture and its interaction with external influences

Other headings used in the Cultural Summary are as follows…

Settlements

Describes the nature of a culture’s:Villages and cities Architectural style and building practices Descriptions of an average dwelling

Economy

A discussion of a culture’s economic system, incorporating: Subsistence and commercial activities Industrial arts Trade, division of labor Land tenure

Kinship

An overview of kin/clan organization and orientation, including:

Kin groups Descent and kinship terminology

Marriage and Family

Describes: Marriage, the basic familial domestic unit Inheritance Socialization

Social and Political Organization

An overview of a culture’s: Social and political organization Methods of social control Socio-political conflict

Religion and Expressive Culture

Provides a brief description of a culture’s: Religious beliefsReligious practitionersReligious or other ceremoniesThe ArtsMedicineHow death and afterlife are generally

perceived

Indexing Notes

Lists any special decisions made by the analyst regarding subject categories which might differ from normal use

Bibliography

A List of documents used in the preparation of any given cultural file.

Using the Internet version

AGTS library: click on the Internet databases folder and select “eHRAF Collection of Ethnography”

At home: http://ets.umdl.umich.edu/e/ehrafe NOTE: you will need a password which

can be emailed to you.

Obtaining a Password

Send an email or call the following person requesting a password and user ID:Inform her that you are a student at AGTS Ms. Christiane Cunnar, HRAF Member Services: christiane.cunnar@yale.edu; 1-800-520-HRAF

eHRAF Database Support

eHRAF Tutorial:www.yale.edu/hraf/ehraftutorial_intro.htm Notice the underline space in this link:

“ehraftutorial_intro.htm”

eHRAF User Guides: www.yale.edu/hraf/userguides.html

If you need online assistance, Mrs. Cunnar has made herself available for individual online support via email or phone.

In-House Assistance

Contact Dr. Newberry during office hours. His office is #215 in the faculty office area,

Phone: 268-1069

Email: wnewberry@agts.edu

Special appreciation is given to

Mrs. Christiane Cunnar for her editing

assistance and advise in the preparation

of this presentation.

Copyright 2002 Global Missions Department

Assemblies of God Theological SeminarySpringfield, Missouri

Prepared byWarren Newberry, D.Th.

Visiting Professor of Missions