Lecture on Cartography and Social Equality

Introduction

• Presenters: Dr. John Phow, Dr. Cynthia Sals, Professor Donald Huke
• Organization: Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality (OCSC)
• Membership: 4,300 dues-paying members, $20/year for a newsletter

Proposal

• Legislation Request:
  • Make it mandatory for every public school in the U.S. to use the Peters Projection map instead of the traditional Mercator map.
  • Aim: To address historical biases in map projections.

Mercator Projection

• Origins: Designed by German cartographer Mercator in 1569.
• Purpose: Navigational tool for European sailors.
• Characteristics:
  • Enlarges areas at the poles to aid navigation.
  • Creates straight lines of constant bearing.
  • Distorts the relative size and position of nations and continents.
• Examples of Distortion:
  • Greenland appears the same size as Africa, though Africa is 14 times larger.
  • Europe looks larger than South America, but South America is almost double the size.
  • Alaska seems three times larger than Mexico, though Mexico is larger.
  • Germany appears centrally located, but is actually in the northernmost quarter of the Earth.

Peters Projection

• Characteristics:
  • Maintains fidelity of area.
  • East-west lines are parallel; north-south axes intersect at right angles.
  • Provides a more accurate representation of the size and position of land masses.

Social Equality Implications

• Size and Importance:
  • Society often equates size with importance and power.
  • Misrepresentation of third-world countries can lead to undervaluation.
  • The Mercator map's exaggeration of Western Civilization's size influences perceptions.
• Top and Bottom Attitudes:
  • Northern Hemisphere's placement at the top contributes to hierarchical perceptions.
  • Reversing this (i.e., placing it at the bottom) challenges these perceptions.

Conclusion

• Challenge to Perceptions:
  • Introduction of the Peters Projection aims to foster a more equitable view of the world.
  • The map's orientation and representation have psychological and social impacts.
• Next Steps:
  • Continued advocacy for the adoption of more accurate and equitable map projections in educational contexts.