Lying with maps Propaganda, power and responsibility.

Lying with maps

Propaganda, power and responsibility

Where we are going today…

• Maps as political

• How to lie

• Why to lie

• Gerrymandering

• Geographic techniques and moral responsibility

All maps are political….

• Why?

• Because all communication is political and maps are a form of communication.

• Maps reflect the interests of their producers

How to lie…

• Scale, Manipulating distortion…or using it..

• Omission….

• Classification

• Symbology

How to lie…


• Omission….

• Classification

• Symbology

Empty Pac

Pac full

How to lie…


• Omission….

• Classification

• Symbology

Using symbols

Why lie with maps?

• Self-promotion / advertising

• Political / Propaganda

• The case of Gerrymandering

Why lie with maps?




Why lie with maps?




“gerrymandering”

B B B C C C C C B B B C C C C C

A B B B C C C C A B B B C C C C

A A B B C C C C A A B B C C C C

A A B B C C C C A A B B C C C C

A A A A B B C C A A A A B B C C

A A B B B B B C A A B B B B B C

A A A A B B B C A A A A B B B C

A A A A A A B B A A A A A A B B

Gerry Mander (1814) Massachusetts kormányzója

Geographic techniques and moral responsibility…

• History…Maps and empire… – “to map the land was to own it and make that

ownership legitimate” J.B. Harley. (p. 245)

– Authority … of science and of objectivity.


• Place names….– Decoding, recoding, and possession


• Future

– GPS, GIS, surveillance and the things we don’t want mapped…

With the rash of recent high profile abductions in the USA there has been an increase in awareness of child security and

the need to have a rapid response system that can locate abducted children. The problem is not new. Every year 100's of children are abducted by strangers or relatives sometimes

with tragic results.

The "Kinder Guard" concept is designed to assist law enforcement in locating abducted children. Perhaps best

described as a LowJack system for children. It is a miniature device that attaches to a child's clothing disguised as an every day item so that it avoids detection. Battery operated, it sends

out intermittent signals that can be traced using Global Positioning System technology to with in a matter of 1,000 square feet allowing authorities to rapidly converge on the

point of the signal.

The company hopes that this system never needs to be used. However, in the real world there are individuals who harbor ill

will toward society's most vulnerable. It is our sincere expectation that we are able to contribute to making their

world truly a "SAFER PLACE."

• With Alzheimer's, mental illness on the rise an ELDER FINDER (an adaptation of the KINDER FINDER) becomes a necessity for families with loved ones who suffer from short and long term mental loss.

A protective device that will allow family members, nursing aids, etc., to be constantly aware of the whereabouts of their loved ones or their charge

• From: http://www.emtigroup.com/products.html


• Future


– What responsibility do we have as educated operators of this spatial technology?

• GIS "live map" functions, when combined with capabilities of location identification devices (GPS, personal inertial guidance, etc.), facilitate tracking the movement of high-risk inmates or at-risk personnel throughout any facility or area.

• From: http://www.esri.com/industries/lawenforce/business/corrections.html

• Incorporate our video mug shot system into GIS

• Apply Digital Camera technology to place photographic images of locations into GIS (gang hangouts, graffiti, layouts of homes from search warrants, etc.)

• http://www.salinaspd.com/GIS_VB.html


• Future


– What responsibility do we have as educated operators of this spatial technology?

Lying with maps Propaganda, power and responsibility.

Documents

b b b b b ca

b b gerry mander

moral responsibilityall

moral responsibilityfuturegps

abducted children

s of children

lowjack system

kinder finder