Studying a country's culture reveals the attitudes and behaviors that the people share. Of course, it would include expression in the arts, but also, what the people eat, when and how they marry, an orientation to time, attitudes toward authority, and many others. These cultural characteristics can influence government, business, education, health care... you name it. These resources can help you get a better understanding of the culture in the country you are researching.
Look up your country's life cycles (birth, marriage, death rituals), religion, food, and education, as well as interesting facts about their stereotypes and superstitions!
They provide sample citations for their pages in APA and MLA format.
CultureGrams provide 5-10 pages of general information about cultural habits within a country. They include topics like language, family structure, dating and marriage, and food.
They're included in the ProQuest Central database. Watch a video (below) to see how to find them.
Celebrating Life Customs Around the World by 
Women's Lives Around the World by The set is arranged geographically:
Volume 1 : Middle East and Africa
Volume 2 : North America, Central America, and South America
Volume 3 : Asia (including Central and South Asia) and Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand)
Volume 4 : Europe (including Russia)
The publisher provides suggested citations in various styles for the book. Look for the "Cite" link once you've clicked on the title above.
There's a series of books called CultureShock! They're written for people moving to a foreign country, who want to know how different it's going to be there. They're a good place to learn about a country's culture.
The LCSC Library has purchased selected titles from this series as e-books. To find them, do a search on CultureShock in SuperSearch. You can find suggested citations in various citation styles for the books in SuperSearch.
If we don't have a CultureShock book on the country you're researching, check with a librarian. There's a good chance we can get a print copy for you from another library, using our Interlibrary Loan service.
The video below demonstrates how to find other books on culture in the LCSC Library or in other libraries.
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture by After you click on the title link, you will see a box of tools on the right side of the page. You can use those to get sample citations or to email or save pages from the encyclopedia.
Within the "Tools" box, look for the box that says "within publication." Type in the name of the country or region you're researching to find all the places it's mentioned in all 3 volumes.
Ethnic American Food Today by After you click on the title link, you will see a list of tools on the left side of the page. The last link provides sample citations for the book in various styles.
There are a variety of ways to find information on the country you are researching. You can use the alphabetical table of contents. Once you click on one of the letters, you will also be provided a search box to search within this publication. Alternatively, you can use the index link at the bottom of the Table of Contents to get an alphabetical index of the book.
International Cookbook of Life-Cycle Celebrations, 2nd Edition by You can look up countries in these books and find information on their religions and practices. These books are in the Reference section (on the 1st floor) of the Library and cannot be checked out. You can scan pages for your use. Distance students can contact the library for assistance with these books.
You can find suggested citations in various citation styles for these books in SuperSearch.
Encyclopedia of Global Religion by 
Religions of the World by 
The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music by Each of the 10 volumes in this set focus on a particular world region, such as Europe or Africa or The Middle East. Part 1 of each volume introduces the region, its culture, and its music. Part 2 features essays on major issues and processes that link the music of the region. Part 3 provides detailed accounts of individual music cultures. Each essay includes a list of references.
These books are in the Reference section (on the 1st floor) of the Library and cannot be checked out. You can scan pages for your use. Distance students can contact the library for assistance with these books.
You can find suggested citations in various citation styles for these books in SuperSearch.
Cultural Sociology of Divorce by After you click on the title link, you will see a box of tools on the right side of the page. You can use those to get sample citations or to print pages from the encyclopedia.
Within the "Tools" box, look for the box that says "within publication." Type in the name of the country or region you're researching to find all the pages where it's mentioned in all 3 volumes.