Cultural Anthropology through the Lens of Wikipedia: Historical Leader Networks, Gender Bias, and News-based Sentiment

TL;DR

This study compares cultural perspectives in Wikipedia across languages by analyzing historical leader networks, gender bias, and sentiment, revealing cultural differences and biases in representing world history and influential figures.

Contribution

It introduces a cross-cultural analysis of Wikipedia content, focusing on historical networks, gender representation, and sentiment, highlighting cultural biases and differences.

Findings

Differences in historical leader networks across languages.

Identification of influential female leaders in multiple Wikipedias.

Variations in sentiment and emotionality among different language editions.

Abstract

In this paper we study the differences in historical World View between Western and Eastern cultures, represented through the English, the Chinese, Japanese, and German Wikipedia. In particular, we analyze the historical networks of the World's leaders since the beginning of written history, comparing them in the different Wikipedias and assessing cultural chauvinism. We also identify the most influential female leaders of all times in the English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese Wikipedia. As an additional lens into the soul of a culture we compare top terms, sentiment, emotionality, and complexity of the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German Wikinews.