HuGeo 3.2 All maps are wrong: bias

3.2 HuGeo All maps are wrong :

People make maps, people make choices = bias

Multiple Choice

The Mercator map shows Canada as HUGE. Is it bias when you believe bigger is better?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

MDC = More Developed Country

• richer country?

• poorer country?

Multiple Choice

LDC = Less Developed Country

• richer country?

• poorer country?

1st World, 2nd World, 3rd World

• This language started during the Cold War between the USA and Russia (Soviet Union before) ; some people still use it

• Purple: 1st World = the developed countries of North America, Western Europe, Australia = richer countries

• Red: 2nd world = Nobody says 2nd world anymore.

• Green: 3rd World = the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America = poorer countries

• 
  

Multiple Select

Check all that describe about poorer world countries:

• 3rd World Countries

• LDC : less developed country

• Developing countries

Multiple Select

This video is taken from an old TV show. It's old. But, human geographers LOVE LOVE LOVE this video. Click below the words you heard in the video:

• “the Mercator Projection has fostered European imperialist attitudes for centuries and created an ethnic bias against the Third World.” = (White people are better)

• "When Third World countries are misrepresented they're likely to be

  valued less" (White people's countries are bigger and so more important)

• "When Mercator maps exaggerate the

  importance of Western civilization" (White people put themselves in the most important map positions)

• "when the top of the map is given to the northern hemisphere and the bottom is given to the southern... then people will tend to adopt top and bottom attitudes" (White people's countries at the top = white people's countries more important)

Multiple Select

The last slide is about "Cartographers for Social Equality" IT DOES NOT EXIST IRL. Click below the statements that are mostly correct.

• "Cartographers for Social Equality" is not a real organization. It's from an old TV show.

• It became really really popular as a meme, not just with human geographers

• It's a nerd thing. Geographers want to be cool.

• Everybody wants social equality.

Bias in today's maps

people who have the power make the maps

Multiple Select

T: East Africa

O: North is up

D: September 21, 2020

A: Ms. Sevald (me!)

L: no legend

S: no scale

(cut and pasted from Google Maps)

• Ms. Sevald put Ethiopia in the middle of East Africa

• Oromia is on the map

• Somaliland is on themap

• Ogaden is on the map

Multiple Select

Other people who don't have their own maps. Click those that are mostly true for people who are not on most world maps.

• Karen people

• Karenni people

• Hmong people

• Palestinian people

Multiple Select

Look closely at the images. People can change. And maps can show you a LOT about the world.

Multiple Choice

Maps teach us a lot. This series of maps clearly shows Palestinian land shrinking since 1947. Which statement below is true.

• This series of maps shows you how Palestinian Territory has gotten smaller over the years.

• This series of maps shows you how Palestinian Territory has gotten bigger over the years.

Multiple Choice

You watch the fictional TV show about the Mercator map being wrong and the Peters map being a better map. Which statement below is true?

• The Boston Public Schools didn't change its map because the Mercator map shows developed countries how they should be, bigger and in the middle. No way the developing countries of Africa and South America should look bigger than Europe and North America. North America and Europe are the most important places on Earth, and the Mercator map proves it. = better map

• The Boston Public Schools changed its map because the Peters map "cuts the developed world down to size", which means the developed world is smaller and not in the middle. Europe and North America are not that big and not in the middle of the Gall Peters map. The developing countries of Africa and South America are in the right place and are the right size. = better map