Via: uk.ac.portsmouth.csovax; Fri, 20 Nov 1992 12:53:36 +0000
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ingrafx
Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 12:55:00 GMT
From:         MAPPAMUNDI@CSOVAX.PORTSMOUTH.AC.UK
Subject:      OBJECTIVE PROJECTIONS?

        This initial proposal for a cartographically related research
project (Jeremy Crampton's Advanced Cartography course) is concerned with
map projections and how they have been used in the past in atlases,
newspapers etc. to support a political ideology. For instance in John Ager's
1977 article "Maps and Propaganda", there are two opposing viewpoints on
Russia (or the CIS), both represented equally well by their choice of
projection. One uses the Mercator projection to exaggerate the Asian land
mass, thus portraying Communism as a force to be reckoned with. The other
uses the Polar Stereographic projection so that Russia appears surrounded
by capitalist powers giving a totally different impression.
        My proposal is this; that by observing the ways in which different
political / religious ideologies have been (mis)represented on maps by a
subtle choice of projection, one can start to observe which projections
suffer the most from subjectivity and vice versa.

i.e.  which of the many projections that abound approximate most to what
it is meant to be designed for; an objective view of the physical world,
free from any sort of ideology. (Of course bear in mind that there are
some projections that were designed specifically for the purpose of
upholding a body of ideas , for example Arno Peters' controversial
projection being used to get world thinking away from a predominantly
Eurocentric viewpoint. However, most projections were designed with
objectivity in mind but were subsequently used by others for their own
ends - Mercator originally intended his projection be used for sea navigation.

        So, from the initial analysis of map projections the questions asked
could be thus:-
- is there any such thing as a completely objective map or are all maps
subject to linkages with ideologies to differing degrees?
- from looking at how ideologies can be upheld in various projections we
can judge what projections are closest to objectivity (like R. Buckminster
Fuller's projection in Axelsen and Jones' 1987 article?), but can we then
create a new projection using conventional cartographic method that strives for
 objectivity as much as possible, avoiding the traits that characterize a
typical projection with a political agenda to the largest possible degree?

        That is the situation of my project at this moment in time. I hope this
initial
 proposal has aroused at least a modicum of interest somewhere out
there. If so, then I would be grateful for any advice or criticism you may
have to offer.

Cheers - Tony Moore (University of Portsmouth).



Ager,J.(1977)."Maps and Propaganda", Bulletin of the Society of University
Cartographers,11, pp.1-15.

Axelsen,B. and Jones,M.(1987)."Are all Maps Mental Maps?", Geojournal, 14,
pp.447-464.

Harley,J.B.(1988)."Maps,Knowledge and Power", in Cosgrove,D. and Daniels,S.
(eds.), "The Iconography of Landscape"; Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University
Press.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU