Human Relations Area Files

01/26/2026

Welcome to our 10th annual HRAF Year in Review, which will once again summarize news from the previous year as well as describe what you can expect to see from HRAF over the next 12 months.

By Francine Barone Welcome to our 10th annual HRAF Year in Review, which will once again summarize news from the previous year as well as describe what you can expect to see from HRAF over the next 12 months. Culture & Tradition Updates A ...

01/23/2026

The HRAF Academic Quarterly, written by Dr. Francine Barone, is a great way to catch up on how eHRAF data and other HRAF resources have been used by scholars for research publications and conference presentations. The latest edition opens with cross-cultural research on hunter-gatherer locomotion and diversity in human leadership. There are two studies on gender: one on textile-related craft production and the other measuring gender inequality and market integration. From archaeology, there is new kinship research on Neolithic and Bronze Age residence patterns as well as modeling prehistoric Neolithic survival. Other fascinating research looks at categorizing objects by their cultural affordances; classifying human morals and values; and body-based numeration systems. Two examples of conservation studies using eHRAF data and Indigenous knowledge cover Amazonian fish migration and caribou conservation in Saskatchewan. Mike Fischer and Ben Kluga presented a poster on Ethnography as Language Model presented at the AAA Annual Meeting, and a study recently published by Samantha King, et. al. outlining a global comparative approach to the study of natural hazards using ethnographic data.

HRAF Academic Quarterly, Vol 2025-04 By Francine Barone This summary features some of the exciting research accomplished using HRAF data from the eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology databases as well as Explaining Human Culture (EHC), Teaching ...

01/21/2026

📢 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 passing in 2009. The intent of the internship is to learn about cross-cultural research through practical experience. The internship will include living expenses in the amount of $525 per week for approximately 50 weeks beginning late Summer 2026. Travel costs up to $1100 will also be reimbursed for a move to and from New Haven. Hours are based on a 37.5 hour week.

Read more about eligibility and how to apply here:

https://hraf.yale.edu/hraf-internship-in-honor-of-melvin-ember-2026-2027/

11/21/2025

HRAF President Carol Ember and Director of Membership and Outreach Matthew Longcore at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

07/16/2025

HRAF will be hosting an eHRAF Databases Workshop on Wednesday, August 20 at 10:00 am Eastern Time. We will provide an overview to the two eHRAF databases:

💻 eHRAF World Cultures
💻 eHRAF Archaeology

This workshop is designed for librarians and faculty members at colleges that either already have a membership with the eHRAF databases or are interested in learning more.

We will cover teaching with the eHRAF databases, including the eHRAF Workbooks for introductory courses in Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology.

The flyer for the workshop which includes a QR code to register for the event.

We also invite our Library Consortia Partners to attend this workshop. Please let us know if you will be able to join us. We hope to see you then.

06/14/2025

📢We’re hiring! Please share widely.

The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is seeking a full-time Collections Editor for HRAF’s online databases.

The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is seeking a full-time Collections Editor for HRAF’s online databases. Position Summary HRAF seeks a knowledgeable and experienced Collections Editor to manage document content production for the ...

03/18/2025

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For over 75 years, the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) has promoted the understanding of cultural diversity and commonality in the past and present. As a small non-profit organization, HRAF produces scholarly resources and infrastructure for research, teaching and learning, and supports and conducts original research on cross-cultural variation.

In these tumultuous times, our commitment to understanding cultural diversity remains as steadfast as ever. Anthropology is perhaps the most diverse of disciplines; one dedicated not only to observing, but to explaining human behavior in all of its varieties. It also has the power and privilege to amplify voices of those who might not otherwise be heard.

Higher education – and the social sciences in particular – have come under increasing pressure in recent times. HRAF stands with our member institutions and librarians in our commitment to education and the pursuit of knowledge. We hope that you will join us in safeguarding and enriching access to cross-cultural, ethnographic and archaeological data.

Your support makes a difference. A donation of any amount will help us to continue to promote scientific research, champion anthropological knowledge, and facilitate cross-cultural studies at a time when the world needs it most.

🌐 https://hraf.yale.edu/friends/

The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions

02/24/2025

How Colonization Changed Diets Globally: 5 Fascinating Facts 🌍🍽️

Despite being native to the Americas, chili peppers became essential in Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisines after Portuguese traders introduced them in the 16th century.

Before European colonization, sugar was rare. Colonial plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil turned it into a global staple—at the cost of forced labor.

Brought from the Americas, tomatoes were initially thought to be poisonous before becoming a key ingredient in Italian and Spanish cooking.

The British obsession with tea led to plantations in India and Sri Lanka, while coffee from Ethiopia spread through colonial trade, creating global café cultures.Staple Grains Were Replaced! 🌾
Colonizers often introduced wheat and rice, replacing native grains like millet and sorghum in Africa and South America, altering traditional diets forever.

Which of these colonial food influences surprises you the most? 🍛👇

01/29/2025

🧧 Happy Lunar New Year from the Human Relations Area Files

Via : "The first new moon of the lunar calendar officially ushered in the new year in many cultures Wednesday, marking the imminent arrival of spring and the first day of the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes good luck, rebirth and regality. There are 12 zodiac animals in Chinese astrology and each is associated with one of the five elements—the snake of 2025 is a wood animal, which represents growth, flexibility and tolerance. People born in the year of the snake are said to be resilient and courageous, with strong interpersonal skills and leadership qualities, and the snake is considered to be the most tenacious of the 12 zodiac animals, with some counting people born these years as sinister and intimidating."

🐍 Swipe to see how you can search eHRAF World Cultures for ethnographic data on the lunar new year across cultures.

01/16/2025

Listen to this NPR article about Cassidy et al.'s paper in Nature to hear an interview with HRAF President, Carol Ember, on the existence of matrilocal societies in the ancient past.

Ancient DNA reveals that during the Iron Age, women in ancient Celtic societies were at the center of their social networks — unlike previous eras of prehistory.

01/14/2025

📢 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 passing in 2009. The intent of the internship is to learn about cross-cultural research through practical experience. The internship will include living expenses in the amount of $490 per week for approximately 50 weeks beginning late Summer 2025. Travel costs up to $1050 will also be reimbursed for a move to and from New Haven. Hours are based on a 37.5 hour week.

Read more about eligibility and how to apply here:

🌐https://hraf.yale.edu/hraf-internship-in-honor-of-melvin-ember/

01/13/2025

📚 The latest edition of the HRAF Academic Quarterly is now available!

The final issue of the Academic Quarterly for 2024 features cross-cultural research on hunter-gatherer locomotion; men’s contributions to marital dynamics; the association between cousin marriage and honor killings; and a critical overview of archaeological approaches to gender and social inequality. New research from HRAF anthropologists includes challenges of cataloging the world’s 7,000+ languages and cultural tightness and resilience against environmental shocks. In addition, HRAF researchers presented a series of papers at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting in November 2024. The HRAF panel, described below, focused on different kinds of exogenous forces such as war and climate and how they might affect cultural variation and change.

🌐 Read it here: https://hraf.yale.edu/hraf-academic-quarterly-vol-2024-04/

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