“Understanding Cultural and Human Geography” is a series of lectures from The Great Courses. The lecturer is Professor Paul Robbins.
I’ll be writing up short notes in one post per lecture.
Notes
- The first lecture focuses on maps.
- Because of the challenges posed by projecting the surface of a globe into two dimensions, every flat map represents a choice. And some of these choices are unconscious, reflecting the world view of the mapmaker.
- The scale used for a map will make some features appear and others vanish.
- Maps will also be strongly influenced by their intended use. An example: maps for sailors in which coastlines, names and locations of coastal settlements and geographic features visible from the sea are all presented with a high level of detail and accuracy, while the interiors of land masses are filled with illustrations of invented scenes.
Reflections
It may not be possible to make a precise distinction between conscious choices made to ensure that the map is useful and unconscious choices made to fit the map within a world view. Our world view will influence from our ideas about what a map is for and how it is used.
The Mercator projection is often criticised for its misleading impression of land areas, but of course it’s defined by its intended use for navigation – the lecturer describes it as a powerful technology.
Related post
My notes on the next lecture in this course: On “Understanding Cultural and Human Geography 2”
A world-building idea inspired by this lecture: black market map-makers