Green River LibGuides: CMST 238 Intercultural Communication: Find Background (Reference)

Use the following online reference databases to find background information on a wide variety of topics.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search for authoritative information in subject encyclopedias selected for courses and programs at Green River College
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Browse by topic or keyword to find information covering a broad range of important issues in health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Weekly reports dating back to 1923.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Use this tool to find "viewpoint" articles on controversial issues. A great place to find evidence to support persuasive speeches. Use the "Reference" articles for overviews of your issue's history.
Global Issues in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles featuring global viewpoints on international issues, country reports, primary source documents, statistics, videos, and more

CultureGrams (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Cultural information, statistics, and reports on more than 200 countries and territories plus US states and Canadian provinces.
Global Road Warrior This link opens in a new window
Country information--basic facts, population, history, economics, society & culture, basic greetings. Includes maps and photographs.

What kind of background can I find in reference sources?

Subject reference encyclopedias and companion works - the types of sources you will find in the online reference databases linked on this page and in the Reference section in Holman Library - contain overviews of topics related to the subject of each title that go into more detail than a comparable article from a general reference work (like World Book).

Because these subject reference works intend to give highly reputable overviews of the topics covered, individual articles are often written or reviewed by academics who specialize in the topic the article is covering. This makes these encyclopedia articles more authoritative than news or magazine articles on the same topic.

Reference articles are meant to give a "big picture" view of a topic to help readers understand the larger issues at stake. The articles will summarize major trends or events connected to the topic, but will not always go into specifics and will only rarely mention recent events connected to a topic because the articles take time to write, review, and publish.

You can use reference articles to help you connect a history, a framework, or larger trends to a particular news item, event, or conflict.

Find encyclopedias in Holman Library's Reference Collection:
(After hitting "search," look under the "Filter My Results" menu on the left, click on the "Show More" option under "Location," and select "Reference Collection.")

An Intercultural Example

**The film "The Big Sick," arranged marriage vs. romantic relationships**

News article: "Are we ready for 'The Big Sick'? It's complicated." The Washington Post

Reference Articles: "Arranged Marriages" from Marriage Customs of the World: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions; "Romantic Love in Movies" from the Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media.

How you might use the reference articles to provide history / context: The reference article on arranged marriage can help you discuss what the history of this practice is; the article on love in movies is showing how the trend in (U.S.) films is to show love as an individual romantic attraction, and also how the motivation for "love" in fictional films has changed in the US over time.

"Are we ready for 'The Big Sick'? It's complicated." | Washington Post
How ‘The Big Sick’ makes arranged marriages, Muslim families and a coma perfect rom-com material, by Lavanya Ramanathan.
"Arranged Marriage" | Marriage Customs of the World: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions
"Not all cultures have a tradition of courtship as is known in contemporary North American and European countries, and indeed it is sometimes difficult for young people to meet because of restrictions imposed by tradition, religion and legislation. In many cultures, marriages are arranged by the parents, sometimes with the couple having little or no say."
"Romantic Love in Movies" | Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media
"Romantic representations are rarely discussed from an academic viewpoint, however. Certain studies have examined the nature of romantic portrayals in movies, describing, for instance, how the principal theme of romantic movies has changed over time."

CMST 238 Intercultural Communication: Find Background (Reference)

What kind of background can I find in reference sources?

Find encyclopedias in Holman Library's Reference Collection: (After hitting "search," look under the "Filter My Results" menu on the left, click on the "Show More" option under "Location," and select "Reference Collection.")

An Intercultural Example

The film "The Big Sick," arranged marriage vs. romantic relationships

Find encyclopedias in Holman Library's Reference Collection:
(After hitting "search," look under the "Filter My Results" menu on the left, click on the "Show More" option under "Location," and select "Reference Collection.")

**The film "The Big Sick," arranged marriage vs. romantic relationships**