Cross-Cultural Observations on English and German Wikipedia Entries at the Interface of Convergence and Controversy

Abstract

Wikipedia represents the largest online encyclopedia worldwide. Its participatory functions enable its users to create entries dynamically and collectively. This may lead not only to convergence, but also to conflict at the micro-level of the contributions of individual users and in the interaction at the meso-level of the Wikipedia community. This study analyses Wikipedia’s sites for negotiating convergence, conflict and identity, concentrating on two aspects. First, convergence and conflict at the macro-level of intercultural comparison are investigated using the example of the construction of concepts of nationalism, citizenship, identity and tribe in their English and German language versions. Second, the English articles serve as a basis to examine the types of convergence and conflict tendencies at the micro-level of the Talk-section. The findings are interpreted against the background of the identity construction of single authors and on the meso-level of the Wikipedia community.