SIL Publications by Category
Cultural Studies

African Friends and Money Matters: Observations from Africa by David E. Maranz, revised ed, PE 37, 2001, 237 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-117-6, $24.95

Discussion of the very different goals of African and Western economic systems and ninety observations of African behaviors related to money matters and the frictions which can result when Westerners misunderstand.

The Agta People: A Photographic Depiction, compiled by Thomas Headland, et al., 2011, 242 pgs. ISBN 978-1-55671-262-3, $27.95

The Agta People is a photographic reflection of the demographic and cultural change of the Casiguran Agta people over the past half century. This book contains 1,054 photographs of Agtas, taken by the Headlands from 1962 to 2010.

And I, In My Turn, Will Pass It On: Knowledge Transmission among the Kayapo by Isabel Murphy, PLE 2, 2004, 235 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-155-8, $30.50

This study provides an in-depth description of Kayapo knowledge transmission. It bridges the disciplines of education and anthropology and expands our knowledge of indigenous processes of education.

Asheninka Stories of Change by Ronald James Anderson, PS 4, 2000, 258 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-102-2, $30.50

The Ashéninka of the Amazon jungle region of east-central Peru confront change from two perspectives: the individual and the sociohistorical. They recall four centuries of change through their stories.

Cashibo Folklore and Culture: Prose, Poetry, and Historical Background by Lila Wistrand-Robinson, PE 34, 1998, 195 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-048-3, $30.50

Contains two sections: myths, legends and chants passed from father to son among the Cashibo; and a history of the Cashibo people and culture up to the mid-1960s.

The Drama of Life: A Study of Life Cycle Customs Among the Guambiano by Judy Branks and Juan B. Sánchez, PE 4, 2011, 120 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-153-5, $14.99

This book is a collection of dramatic life-stories from the viewpoint of a Guambiano master story-teller. The book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in native cultural studies.

The Early Days of Sociolinguistics: Memories and Reflections, G. Tucker and Paulston, PLE5, 2010, 376 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-253-1, $37.00

Provides an insider's perspective on practical and theoretical issues that motivate individuals and institutions to turn to a view of language as inextricably connected to society and culture.

Ensnared by AIDS: Cultural Contexts of HIV/AIDS in Nepal by David K. Beine, Mandala Book Point, Nepal, 2003, 411 pp., ISBN 978-9-99331-018-1, $21.95

This book examines the meaning and cultural contexts of HIV/AIDS in Nepal, presenting results of a long-term study, the first in South Asia, that examines the process by which development of Nepalese cultural models of HIV/AIDS is occurring.

Fifty Years in Brazil: A Sampler of SIL Work 1958–2008, eds by Mary Ruth Wise, Robert A Dooley, and Isabel Murphy, 2008, 416 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-220-3, $40.00

Samples of the products of fifty years of SIL International’s work in Brazil range; includes some out-of-print articles and others available for the first time in this volume. Approximately half of the book is in Portuguese.

Five Amazonian Studies on Worldview and Cultural Change edited by William R. Merrifield,PE 19, 1985, 100 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-174-0, $11.50

Presents studies focusing on world view and cultural change from five Amazonian communities. Documents some of the results of modernizing influences from the outside as well as some of the underlying ideologies used to interpret these influences.

Globe Trotting in Sandals: A Field Guide to Cultural Research by Carol V. McKinney, 2000, 353 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-086-5, $34.00

Provides guidance in the practical aspects of fieldwork and gives suggestions for collecting both qualitative and quantitative cultural data.

Grafting Old Rootstock: Studies in Culture and Religion of the Chamba, Duru, Fula, and Gbaya of Cameroun ed by Noss, PE 14, 1982, 264 pp. 978-0-88312-165-8, $16.00

Studies the culture and religion of the Chamba, Duru, Gula and Gbaya of Cameroun.

The In-Between People: Language and Culture Maintenance and Mother-Tongue Education in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea by Dennis Malone, PLE 3, 2004, 263 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-147-3, $24.95

The In-Between People studies how the Kaugel-speaking people of Papua New Guinea approach the tension that results from the intersection of the old and new cultures.

International Illustrations; the Art of Reading 2.0 CD-ROM for Windows 98 and XP, 2001, ISBN 978-1-55671-114-5, $15.00

International Illustrations is the second artwork disk from SIL and contains over 11,100 images drawn by artists from around the world. Designed for use in the preparation of literacy primers, displays and cultural awareness efforts. Search by keywords

International Illustrations: the Art of Reading 3.0 DVD, for Mac OS X or Windows, English/Indonesian ed, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55671-241-8, $19.95

International Illustrations 3.0 DVD for Mac & Win, contains over 11,100 images drawn by artists from around the world. Designed for use in the preparation of literacy primers, displays and cultural awareness efforts. Allows a search by keywords.

Kinship and Social Organization in Irian Jaya edited by Joyce Sterner; Marilyn Gregerson, PE 32, 1997, 250 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-009-4, $29.50

Discusses how people in Irian Jaya coped with the forces that present both tension and stability as an essential part of their social fabric.

Language Contact and Composite Structures in New Ireland by Rebecca Sue Jenkins, PLE 4, 2005, 253 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-156-5, $24.95

In this book, the author examines the relationship of indigenous Austronesian languages and the pidgin/creole language, Tok Pisin.

A Look at Filipino Lifestyles by Marvin K. Mayers, PE 8, 1980, 173 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-158-0, $16.00

Describes Filipino lifestyles and value systems from an anthropological perspective.

A Look at Latin American Lifestyles by Marvin K. Mayers, PE 2, 1982, 136 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-170-2, $13.00

Describes Latin American lifestyles and value systems from an anthropological perspective.

The Norsk Hostfest: A Celebration of Ethnic Food and Ethnic Identity, by Paul T Emch, PE 41, 2011, 122 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-265-4 $17.99

What does it mean to be Norwegian-American? This study, of interest to laymen and scholars alike, answers this question by examining the prominent traditions and functions of food at the annual Norsk Hostfest celebration held in Minot, North Dakota.

Nucleation in Papua New Guinea Cultures edited by Daniel D. Rath; Marvin K. Mayers, PE 23, 1988, 115 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-177-1, $23.50

Gives a collection of studies of Papua New Guinea cultures, each isolating one key concept that is believed to define the whole of that culture.

Ozumacín Chinantec Texts: Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages 2 by Nadine Rupp; James E. Rupp, LDAMI 11, 1995, 96 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-624-0, $13.50

A compilation of seven stories narrated by a native speaker of this language group (southern Mexico).

Peace is Everything: The World View of Muslims and Traditionalists in the Senegambia by David E. Maranz, PE 28, 1993, 305 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-816-9 $32.95

Examines the culture of the Senegambia subregion in West Africa.

People of the Drum of God--Come! by Paul L. Neeley, PE 35, 1999, 310 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-013-1 $30.50

Draws from such diverse disciplines as sociolinguistics, anthropology, semiotics, cognition, aesthetics and ethnomusicology to make a contribution to our understanding of African culture and communication.

People of the Ucayali: The Shipibo and Conibo of Peru by Lucille Eakin; Erwin Lauriault; Harry Boonstra, IMC 12, 1986, 72 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-163-4 $9.00

Describes the cultures of two closely related language groups in the Peruvian Amazon: the Shipibo and Conibo.

Proto Otomanguean Kinship by William R. Merrifield, PE 11, 1981, 408 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-161-0, $22.00

Reconstructs the protolanguage of six languages found in Mexico.

Reading Is For Knowing: Literacy Acquisition, Retention, and Usage among the Machiguenga by Patricia M Davis, PLE 1, 2004, 332 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-094-0, $35.50

Bilingual schools were initiated at the end of the 1940s among the Machiguenga people of the Peruvian rainforest. This study presents a forty-year chronology of the sociological and educational aspects of the program.

Rituals and Relationships in the Valley of the Sun: The Ketengban of Irian Jaya by Anne Sims; Andrew Sims, PE 30, 1992, 171 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-271-6, $12.50

Looks at the culture of the Ketengban people (eastern highlands of Irian Jaya, Indonesia).

The Same but Different: Language Use and Attitudes in Four Communities of Burkina Faso by Stuart Showalter, PS 5, 2001, 271 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-092-6, $30.50

Detailed look into ways in which four communities respond to the everyday linguistic diversity of their milieu. Maps and diagrams add clarity in explaining the linguistic situation.

South American Kinship: Eight Kinship Systems from Brazil and Colombia edited by William R. Merrifield, PE 18, 1985, 128 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-173-3, $12.50

Studies representing the following languages: Paumarí, Cubeo, Tucano, Kayabí and Suruí, spoken in Brazil, and Coguí, Guahibo, and Coreguaje, spoken in Colombia.

Sticks and Straw: Comparative House Forms in Southern Sudan and Northern Kenya by Jonathan E. Arensen, PE 13, 1983, 146 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-164-1, $12.50

Describes and documents various indigenous house forms in the southern Sudan and northern Kenya area in order to gain insights into the lives of the people who build them. Formulates reasons as to why people build their houses in the ways they do.

A Tale of Pudicho's People: Cashinahua Accounts of European Contacts in the Twentieth Century, by R. Montag, PE 38, 2002, 181 pp. ISBN 978-1-55671-131-2, $20.00

First-hand Cashinahua account of boyhood experiences, the migration of the group and recent happenings by Pudicho, a retired headman.

Tales from Indochina edited by Carol Zylstra; Doris Blood; Dorothy Thomas; Marilyn Gregerson, PE 21, 1987, 124 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-169-6, $11.50

This volume contains a selection of folktales collected in Vietnam from 1960 to 1975. The minority groups whose oral literature were selected for this volume also contrasts in their basic forms of social organization as reflected in the tales themselves.

The Value of the Person in the Guahibo Culture by Marcelino Sosa, PE 36, 2000, 158 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-085-8 $20.00

Describes the ever-increasing penetration of the majority culture among the Guahibo (eastern Colombia).

A View from the Islands: The Samal of Tawi-Tawi by Karen J. Allison, PE 15, 1984, 50 pp., ISBN 978-0-88312-168-9, $7.50

Interprets and molds five presuppositions of the Samal world view and certain related values through three coordinate systems presented in the culture: religions and supernatural, social and economic.

What Place for Hunter-Gatherers in Millennium Three? by T. Headland and D. Blood, PE 39, 2002, 130 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-132-9, $19.50

Case studies looking at the past and the uncertain future for post-foraging societies and specifically the central African Pygmies, the San Bushmen and the Agta Negritos.

Zapotec Oral Literature: El Folklore de San Lorenzo Texmelucan, Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages 4 by Charles H. Speck, LDAMI 13, 1998, 252 pp., ISBN 978-1-55671-058-2, $30.50

Presents a sampling of the oral literature of the Zapotec people in San Lorenzo Texmelucan (Mexico). Written in Spanish and English. En español y ingles.