Title: Map Study
Date: October 6th, 2010
Class: Theory of Knowledge
Category: In Class
Do different types of maps change the way we perceive the world? There is an immense amount of world maps out there in the world, emphasizing different aspects of the world. The varieties of projections allow us to view the world in many different points of views that we may or may not have considered before. For example, there is the Population World Map where countries with a greater population is emphasized and privileged, or there is the Hobo Dyer World Map where southern countries such as Australia and Brazil are being focused, or the Winkle Tripel World Map where Africa is emphasized as it is in the center and the least distorted. These maps are shown below:
Date: October 6th, 2010
Class: Theory of Knowledge
Category: In Class
Do different types of maps change the way we perceive the world? There is an immense amount of world maps out there in the world, emphasizing different aspects of the world. The varieties of projections allow us to view the world in many different points of views that we may or may not have considered before. For example, there is the Population World Map where countries with a greater population is emphasized and privileged, or there is the Hobo Dyer World Map where southern countries such as Australia and Brazil are being focused, or the Winkle Tripel World Map where Africa is emphasized as it is in the center and the least distorted. These maps are shown below:
 |
| Hobo Dyer Projection www1.worldbank.org |
 |
| Population World Map rs.resalliance.org |
 |
| Winkle Tripel Projection personal.psu.edu |
Nevertheless, how reliable are these maps? Could it be that the map-makers were biased and privileged their own country, making it bigger or altering its boundaries slightly? If this was the case and the mass viewed this certain map that was modified by the map-maker, how does this affect the way we view the world? Would we then believe that the modified boundaries were the real boundaries if the mass believed that the modified boundaries were real? How would we know whether it had been altered or not? How would we know what has been altered regarding the land shape, or land size, or boundaries etc? How do we know that the Hobo Dyer projection is illustrated in an upside-down manner? Could it be possible that the Hobo Dyer projection is really the right-side up and that the “normal” projection is the one being upside-down? Who decides which projection is the right-side up? How is this authority given? Does our perception of the world depend on these people who create maps?
Yes, lots of KIs.
ReplyDelete