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Online Reference Collections
Blackwell Reference Online This link opens in a new window
350+ titles in the humanities and social sciences, including the Blackwell companions and handbooks. Strengths are psychology, sociology, history, literature, philosophy, and religion.
Cambridge Companions Online This link opens in a new window
Online version of the Cambridge Companions; offers introductions to major writers, artists, topics and periods within the fields of literature, classics, philosophy, religion and culture.
Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Contains all titles of the Cambridge Histories series. Topics include political, economic & regional history (ancient to modern) plus language & literature, philosophy, music, religion, science, the performing arts, etc.
Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
A scholar-curated library of subject bibliographies in the humanities & social sciences; each entry offers a guided tour through key literature on a topic.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Review essays evaluating the current thinking on a field or topic. Articles review the key issues, reveal original arguments and concepts, and set the agenda for new research.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias This link opens in a new window
Scholarly, continuously-updated encyclopedias, designed to provide contextual guidance at the start of research projects on unfamiliar topics. Full access to the American History Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Social Work, with some free content in all other subjects.
Routledge Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
DRM-free handbooks offering peer-reviewed research articles in the humanities, social sciences, education, psychology, engineering & built environment. Chapters can be browsed, searched, viewed & downloaded.
Reference Resources
Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History
This second edition is an expansion of the 1996 classic and its 2000 supplement. Whereas the first edition focused almost exclusively on the United States, this new set identifies and addresses broad themes critical to understanding the texture of the cultures, achievements, challenges, and promise of the 150 million people of African descent who live in North America, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. It is an authoritative and comprehensive information about Black history, figures, and accomplishments throughout the Americas now have a defining and current reference.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism
"In more than 1,800 pages of alphabetical entries, each ranging from 500 to 1,2000 words, The Encyclopedia Of Race And Racism, 2nd Edition provides critical information and context on the underlying social, economic, geographical, and political conditions that, gave rise and continue to foster racism. Religion, political economy, social activism, health, concepts, and constructs are explored. Given the increasingly diverse population of the US and the rapid effects of globalization, as well as mass and social media, the issue of race in world affairs, history, and culture is of preeminent importance, and this work is designed to bring vetted and accessible facts and analysis to experts and students as well as lay readers. "
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (4 vols.)
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America contains 175 essays (that's 25 more than the previous edition) on specific minority and ethnic groups in the U.S., with an emphasis on culture (religions, holidays, customs, language) in addition to information on historical background and settlement patterns. The Encyclopedia also covers ethnoreligious groups such as Jews, Chaldeans and Amish. Each essay has been completely updated and contains a listing of organizations and research centers; names addresses and contact information for periodicals, radio and television stations; and a list of suggestions for further reading. Also featured are more than 350 photographs and illustrations, sources for further study and a general annotated bibliography.
Latinas in the United States
Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia records the contribution of women of Latin American birth or heritage to the economic and cultural development of the United States. The encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez-Korrol, is the first comprehensive gathering of scholarship on Latinas. This encyclopedia will serve as an essential reference for decades to come. In more than 580 entries, the historical and cultural narratives of Latinas come to life. From mestizo settlement, pioneer life, and diasporic communities, the encyclopedia details the contributions of women as settlers, comadres, and landowners, as organizers and nuns. More than 200 scholars explore the experiences of Latinas during and after EuroAmerican colonization and conquest; the early-19th-century migration of Puerto Ricans and Cubans; 20th-century issues of migration, cultural tradition, labor, gender roles, community organization, and politics; and much more. Individual biographical entries profile women who have left their mark on the historical and cultural landscape. With more than 300 photographs, Latinas in the United States offers a mosaic of historical experiences, detailing how Latinas have shaped their own lives, cultures, and communities through mutual assistance and collective action, while confronting the pressures of colonialism, racism, discrimination, sexism, and poverty. "Meant for scholars and general readers, this is a great resource on Latinas and historical topics connected with them."--curledup.com
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History brings together in one two-volume set the record of the nation's values, aspirations, anxieties, and beliefs as expressed in both everyday life and formal bodies of thought. Over the past twenty years, the field of culturalhistory has moved to the center of American historical studies, and has come to encompass the experiences of ordinary citizens in such arenas as reading and religious practice as well as the accomplishments of prominent artists and writers. Some of the most imaginative scholarship in recent yearshas emerged from this burgeoning field.The scope of the volume reflects that development: the encyclopedia incorporates popular entertainment ranging from minstrel shows to video games, middlebrow ventures like Chautauqua lectures and book clubs, and preoccupations such as "Perfectionism" and "Wellness" that have shaped Americans'behavior at various points in their past and that continue to influence attitudes in the present. The volumes also make available recent scholarly insights into the writings of political scientists, philosophers, feminist theorists, social reformers, and other thinkers whose works have furnished theunderpinnings of Americans' civic activities and personal concerns. Anyone wishing to understand the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of the United States from the early days of settlement to the twenty-first century will find the encyclopedia invaluable.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History brings together in a single authoritative reference work an extraordinary wealth of information about the history of everyday life in America.Sixty years ago, an encyclopedia devoted to U.S. social history would have been unthinkable. The term "social history" was not even in common use. By the 1960s, however, scholars had begun to reject the notion that what was solely important about the past were the actions of political and militaryleaders and the ideas of elite intellectuals. These historians insisted upon the value of the experiences of ordinary people. Often called "history from the bottom up," social history includes the study of marginalized people whose voices had been largely missing from the history books, and covers awide span of activities embracing the whole range of ordinary people's life experience. Social structures and the environment that shaped American life, including family, work, leisure, social movements, and patterns of mobility and settlements, are central to the work, as are themes of race,gender, ethnicity, and class. Sensitive to transnational developments, the volume draws extensively on new literature on slavery, health and disease, sexuality, women's activism, and technology's impact on everyday life.With over 450 articles by expert scholars, each signed entry features numerous cross references and discussion of social history as well as additional sources for further study in this two-volume A-to-Z compendium. The encyclopedia is a reference work of unparalleled depth and scope and willintroduce a new generation of readers to the complexities of this dynamic field of study. It also features key biographies of leaders in social history, a topical outline, and subject index.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in Contemporary Politics, Law, and Social Movements
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in Contemporary Politics, Law, and Social Movements (OEPoL) provides a comprehensive source of information on the diverse historical and contemporary experiences of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. Incorporating key material from theacclaimed four-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States (OUP, 2005), this ground-breaking publication addresses the significant ways in which the Latino and Latina populations have shaped the political, legal, and social institutions of the United States, with new andupdated scholarship on political movements and organizations, important legal cases, minority-rights laws, and immigration legislation.The two-volume OEPoL contains over 450 topical entries written by key academics, intellectuals, and scholars. The articles range from expansive survey essays, to biographies that document the lives of important individuals in Latino and Latina history, to interdisciplinary entries focused onessential themes and issues. Supplemented by over 50 images and a bibliography of suggested readings for each entry, OEPoL ensures that this timely, increasingly prominent subject receives the reference coverage it deserves.
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society
A comprehensive, two-volume encyclopedia covering the major theories, research, people and issues in contemporary gender studies. The work will be distinguished by a cross-nationaloss-cultural perspective providing comparative analyses of life experiences of men and women around the world.
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America
This new three-volume set is an accessible and scholarly reference that provides a comprehensive survey of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States. Long needed by researchers, the "Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America includes approximately 545 articles ranging from short biographical entries to longer essays surveying topics such as the Stonewall riots, federal law and policy, same-sex institutions and AIDS. Wide-ranging in scope, this new encyclopedia complements courses in a variety of disciplines, including history, American studies, literature, psychology, sociology and others. Features include a guide to archival sources, a chronology/timeline, a historical overview essay and a comprehensive index.
Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures
Beginning in 1869, when the study of homosexuality can be said to have begun with the establishment of sexology, this Encyclopediaoffers accounts of the most important international developments in an area that now occupies a critical place in many fields of academic endeavours. While gays and lesbians have shared many aspects of life, their histories and cultures developed in profoundly different ways. To reflect this crucial fact, the Encyclopediahas been prepared in two separate volumes assuring that both histories receive full, unbiased attention and that a broad range of human experience is covered. Written by some of the most famous names in the field, as well as new researchers this is intended as a reference for students and scholars in all areas of study, as well as the general public.
Historical and Multicultural Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States
eproductive rights refers to a range of claims concerning whether, when and how to have children. Beneath this clear statement lays the most contentious political, legal, and cultural issue in America today. Involving the self, the family, and the State, women's reproductive rights generates much impassioned argument but painfully little agreement. Topics and authors take on diverse and often clashing positions, highlighting this issue's complex and highly charged nature. Arranged alphabetically by topic, articles representing racial and ethnic groups' experiences figure prominently, as do the effects of age, class, education, health, religion, and sexual preference on childbearing and -rearing practices, in and out of wedlock. It also includes articles on laws, court cases, political attitudes, prominent activists, and technological advances as they relate to reproductive rights. Entries are written by highly regarded scholars, are cross-referenced, and conclude with suggested further readings. Designed to introduce and inform the reader to this extremely difficult topic, Baer's ecumenical approach exposes us to a variety of opinions from support for current abortion policies to the building movement for fetal rights. Only reasoned opinions supported by hard evidence are included, and no attempt was made to mute the often incommensurable opinions expressed within. This book will be a valuable resources for students, scholars, and any person interested in learning about the multiplicity of perspectives on this important issue that is at the heart of our current culture wars.
Latinas in the United States
Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia records the contribution of women of Latin American birth or heritage to the economic and cultural development of the United States. The encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez-Korrol, is the first comprehensive gathering of scholarship on Latinas. This encyclopedia will serve as an essential reference for decades to come. In more than 580 entries, the historical and cultural narratives of Latinas come to life. From mestizo settlement, pioneer life, and diasporic communities, the encyclopedia details the contributions of women as settlers, comadres, and landowners, as organizers and nuns. More than 200 scholars explore the experiences of Latinas during and after EuroAmerican colonization and conquest; the early-19th-century migration of Puerto Ricans and Cubans; 20th-century issues of migration, cultural tradition, labor, gender roles, community organization, and politics; and much more. Individual biographical entries profile women who have left their mark on the historical and cultural landscape. With more than 300 photographs, Latinas in the United States offers a mosaic of historical experiences, detailing how Latinas have shaped their own lives, cultures, and communities through mutual assistance and collective action, while confronting the pressures of colonialism, racism, discrimination, sexism, and poverty. "Meant for scholars and general readers, this is a great resource on Latinas and historical topics connected with them."--curledup.com
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History captures the experiences of women throughout world history in a comprehensive, 4-volume work. Although there has been extensive research on women in history by region, no text or reference work has comprehensively covered the role women haveplayed throughout world history.The past thirty years have seen an explosion of research and effort to present the experiences and contributions of women not only in the Western world but across the globe. Historians have investigated womens daily lives in virtually every region and have researched the leadership roles women havefilled across time and region. They have found and demonstrated that there is virtually no historical, social, or demographic change in which women have not been involved and by which their lives have not been affected. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History benefits greatly from theseefforts and experiences, and illuminates how women worldwide have influenced and been influenced by these historical, social, and demographic changes.The Encyclopedia contains over 1,300 signed articles arranged in an A-Z format for ease of use. The entries cover six main areas: biographies; geography and history; comparative culture and society, including adoption, abortion, performing arts; organizations and movements, such as the EgyptianUprising, and the Paris Commune; womens and gender studies; and topics in world history that include slave trade, globalization, and disease. With its rich and insightful entries by leading scholars and experts, this reference work is sure to be a valued, go-to resource for scholars, college andhigh school students, and general readers alike.