Human Subcultures

There aren't many blank spots left on the map -- geographically or anthropologically. But for a few isolated hold-outs, privacy means everything. Where's the most isolate culture in the world, and what little do we know of them?

By Jessika Toothman

In the past, people who acted abnormally were carted off to prisons or insane asylums for mental health conditions beyond their control. Now, we have a greater understanding, but there are still unsolved mysteries of the mind.

By Molly Edmonds

We may think that mental illnesses are rare, or things that simply happen to other people. We may think that they'll be easy to spot. We might not be willing to consider that we could have a mental disorder ourselves.

By Molly Edmonds

Burqas are commonly associated with repression and religious extremism. But to many people, the veil is a sign of modesty and piety, as well as a badge of honor. What is the true meaning of the veil?

By Molly Edmonds & Yves Jeffcoat

Aborigines are the world's oldest continuous culture, and they arrived in Australia between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago. Learn more with Aborigine pictures.

At its core, feminism is the belief in equality. It's a movement and a philosophy that seeks to eliminate the social, cultural and legal barriers between men and women. Its goal is to create a truly egalitarian society.

By Cristen Conger

Not every woman whose head scrapes the glass ceiling responds by burning her bra. These five feminist movements highlight proactive efforts to change gender stereotypes and claim equality for women in the boardroom, bedroom and voting booth.

By Cristen Conger

Between 1910 and 1970, nearly 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken from their birth parents and placed in white foster homes as part of a government plan to phase out the Aboriginal race. So where are these children today?

By Alia Hoyt

One piece of diet advice is not to snack until you're hungry enough to eat an apple. But what about consuming human flesh? Is cannibalism about hunger, power or desperation? And is it alive and well in our modern world?

By Josh Clark

Potatoes. Moles. Time capsules. Some things just belong underground and thrive in that dark, airless environment. Humans have long preferred topsoil to the subterranean, but some designers are looking to change that.

By Josh Clark

Chinese parents on the hunt for creative baby names are turning to the Olympic Games for inspiration. Just don't try to name your new baby "@".

By Maria Trimarchi

Would you eat fried worms? While eating bugs is culturally taboo in the Western world, plenty of people around the globe enjoy a nutritious insect snack.

By Charles W. Bryant

With Mount Everest as a backdrop, Sherpas live and work at elevations that cause visitors altitude sickness. Learn more about the Sherpa culture and the respect they garner for their mountain mother.

By Cristen Conger

Aboriginal People use stories called dreamings to keep a record of their history. But the recent history of the Aboriginal people is nothing like a dream.

By Ryan Johnson

From the smallest tribe to the largest nation, important decisions are based on questions like: How many of us are there? How are we divided? Where are we going? Do we have enough food and other resources to take care of us?

By Ed Grabianowski

For your enjoyment, we've compiled lists of the best, the worst, the peculiar, the banned, the largest, the smallest, and other things we found just too interesting to leave out. It’s all right here.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Dogfighting has been in the news recently because of the Michael Vick conviction. What exactly is dogfighting and who are the people involved in this cruel and horrific "sport?" Learn about dogfighting in this article.

By Jacob Silverman

If you've ever seen costumed people with weapons covered in duct tape, then you've made contact with LARPers. Part battle, part story-telling, the Live Action Role Playing trend began in the 1960s and is still growing thanks to the continued popularity of fantasy and science fiction.

By Tracy V. Wilson

In this article, we'll separate fact from propaganda and learn what a cult actually is, see what practices characterize a destructive cult and investigate some of the more notable cult incidents in recent history.

By Julia Layton

The best-selling novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" depicts life as a geisha in Japan in the World War II era. But it is a work of fiction. Find out who and what a geisha is and how they fit into Japanese culture.

By Julia Layton

"Pistols at dawn!" The challenge is issued. To turn it down would leave you marked a coward for life. You meet at the chosen spot. You could be severely wounded or killed today. Why is all this happening? Because you made fun of his hat.

By Ed Grabianowski

Witchcraft dates back countless centuries, and with all of the mythology floating around, it's hard to decipher fact from fiction. Do witches worship Satan? Do they cast spells? Find out about witchcraft.

By Lee Ann Obringer

The legend of the samurai continues to permeate our culture, with countless movies and TV shows dedicated to the subject. How much of what we know about the samurai is truth and how much is myth?

By Ed Grabianowski & Chris Pollette

Secretive and silent, the ninja strikes fear into the hearts of peasants and emperors alike. Today, the ninja has become a legendary, cult-like figure, showing up in computer games, children's cartoons and martial-arts action films.

By Ed Grabianowski

No computers? No electricity? This lifestyle might seem tough to most of us, but to the Amish, it's the norm. Read about the Amish culture, see pictures and learn how and why the Amish live as they do.

By Stephen Wise