American Wiki

Produced by the American Studies Program

Oklahoma State University

AmericanWiki is a collaborative project of American Studies students at Oklahoma State University. It is designed to provide basic knowledge about the people, concepts, artifacts, historical incidents, social data, and cultural products and processes germane to the study of the United States. As a collaborative effort at knowledge construction, it is also designed to model the concept of culture as a lived process, not a collection of inert facts and artifacts, but a dynamic practice of interaction, ritual, and self-definition that shifts and changes.

The entries on these pages are designed to illustrate how people have constructed a collective sense of "American" identity and culture from the materials provided by their respective societies. It approaches "America" as an "imagined community," rather than just a synonym for the "United States." This site seeks to explain how the imagined community of "America" has been formed and reformed over time and  across context, through symbols and rituals, and through encounters with "others." Click on one of  the topics below to start your journey in American Studies.

 Click on one of the links below and add a page...

Key Words in American Studies Primary Documents Social Data People Places Images Events, Eras, or Legal Battles Social Movements Myths and Symbols Cultural Practices or Traditions Encounters with "Others"    For Educators...   Syllabi in American Studies AMST3223 Syllabus Wiki Assignment