Further Developments in the Theory and Practice of Cybercartography

International Dimensions and Language Mapping

D.R. Fraser Taylor, Erik Anonby, Kumiko Murasugi

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780444642820
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Cultural & Social Anthropology
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Further Developments in the Theory and Practice of Cybercartography, Third Edition, Volume Nine, presents a substantively updated edition of a classic text on cybercartography, presenting new and returning readers alike with the latest advances in the field. The book examines the major elements of cybercartography and embraces an interactive, dynamic, multisensory format with the use of multimedia and multimodal interfaces. Material covering the major elements, key ideas and definitions of cybercartography is newly supplemented by several chapters on two emerging areas of study, including international dimensions and language mapping.This new edition delves deep into Mexico, Brazil, Denmark, Iran and Kyrgyzstan, demonstrating how insights emerge when cybercartography is applied in different cultural contexts. Meanwhile, other chapters contain case studies by a talented group of linguists who are breaking new ground by applying cybercartography to language mapping, a breakthrough that will provide new ways of understanding the distribution and movement of language and culture.- Highlights the relationship between cybercartography and critical geography- Incorporates the latest developments in the field of cybercartography, including International Dimensions and Language Mapping- Showcases the legal, ethical and policy implications of mapping local and traditional knowledge

Part 1

The evolution of Cybercartography

Chapter 1

Cybercartography revisited

D. R. Fraser Taylor Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC), Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Abstract

Cybercartography was first formally introduced as a term at the International Cartographic Association Conference in 1997 (Taylor, 1997) but as Cartwright has observed (Cartwright, 2005), this was not a sudden introduction of a new term but the culmination of thinking on the evolution of cartographic theory and practice over time, including the conceptualization of a New Cartography introduced in 1991 (Taylor, 1991). Over two decades have transpired since the term was introduced and this chapter revisits the emergence of both theory and practice over that time. The chapter begins with a reintroduction of some of the key elements of Cybercartography in two previous volumes (Taylor, 2005; Taylor and Lauriault, 2014) and goes on to discuss new theoretical and applied dimensions leading to a re-definition of the concept. The central elements as outlined in the earlier volumes are still relevant today but have been modified, expanded and refined as a result of the ongoing research, especially that resulting from the application of Cybercartography in an international/Indigenous context and the application of Cartography to language mapping, both of which have led to new theoretical insights. The initial definition of Cybercartography was strongly influenced by practice rather than theory. The central importance of the main product of Cybercartography, the cybercartographic atlas, remains, but recent thinking and experience sees the importance of the process by which such atlases are produced as equally, if not more important, than the product. Over time, storytelling has become increasingly important to Cybercartography. Both mapping and storytelling are basic human instincts and are a central part of the holistic nature of Cybercartography.

Keywords

Cybercartography; Cybercartographic atlas; Nunaliit; Storytelling; Holistic; Transdisciplinary; International; Cybercartographic process; Community; Local scale

1.1 Introduction

Cybercartography was first formally introduced as a term in the keynote address to the International Cartographic Association Conference in 1997 in Stockholm (Taylor, 1997). A concrete example of what a cybercartographic product might look like, that is, the Canadian Geographic Explorer produced by IQ Media, was used as a demonstration around which the keynote address and presentation was built. This was not the sudden introduction of a new term but the culmination of over two decades of thinking on the evolution of cartographic theory and practice. Bill Cartwright summed this up as follows:

‘In 1991 Taylor proposed a model that more appropriately described the true profile of contemporary mapping. He developed the model to contribute to what he described as the “New Map”. Taylor (1994) further developed his model to expand the “communication” aspects, from just visual display techniques to include both the visual and the non-visual. The revised model included “interaction” and “dynamics” that led to improved communications and analysis as well as a new range of cartographic products. Later Taylor (1997, 2003) expanded the model to introduce the use of the Web as a method of communicating new media cartographic artefacts and the concept of “Cybercartogaphy” was born’ (Cartwright, 2005, p. 335).

Over two decades have passed since the initial introduction of the term and this chapter, and indeed this whole volume, revisits the initial term and the emergence of new theory and practice over that time. Much has changed.

The chapter begins with a reconsideration of some of the key elements of Cybercartography as outlined in two previous volumes Cybercartography: Theory and Practice (Taylor, 2005) and Further Developments in the Theory and Practice of Cybercartography (Taylor and Lauriault, 2014) and goes on to discuss new theoretical and applied dimensions leading to a new definition of the concept. The central elements as outlined in these two early volumes are still relevant today but have been modified, expanded and refined as a result of the research reported in this volume. This pertains especially to the application of Cybercartography to new forms of language mapping and the application of Cybercartography to international/Indigenous society perspectives in Mexico, Brazil and Kyrgyzstan, both of which have led to further theoretical insights. The initial definition of Cybercartography was strongly influenced by practice rather than theory. The central importance of the main product of Cybercartography, the cybercartographic atlas, remains, but recent thinking and experience sees the importance of the process by which such atlases are produced as equally, if not more important, than the product. Over time, storytelling has become increasingly important to Cybercartography. A cybercartographic atlas is a metaphor for the analysis of all kinds of qualitative and quantitative information of interest to society linked by location and displayed in innovative multi-sensory and multi-media formats which people readily understand. Cybercartographic atlases allow communities to tell their own stories. Both mapping and storytelling are basic human instincts and are a central part of the holistic nature of Cybercartography.

When the outline of this book was being considered for publication, the publisher suggested the idea of reprinting of key chapters from the two earlier volumes as an integral part of the book. Three anonymous reviewers were asked to go through the two previous volumes and select the chapters they considered worth reprinting. Each reviewer was asked to evaluate these on a five point Likert scale. As editor I chose only those chapters which were evaluated as a ‘five’ by all three reviewers. This exercise resulted in the selection of two chapters from the 2005 volume and nine chapters from the 2014 volume. These form Part One of the book, together with this introductory chapter. Note that the early chapters are reproduced as previously published. Part Two of the book includes two introductory chapters on Nunaliit and critical cartographic theory and nine chapters on international dimensions and new applications. Part Three consists of five chapters on new approaches to language mapping and a concluding chapter.

1.2 Part One: The evolution of Cybercartography

Cybercartography is a complex holistic concept which is in simplest terms the application of location-based technologies to the analysis and understanding of issues of importance to society, and the dissemination of the results in ways that people can easily understand through cybercartographic atlases. The cartographic origins of Cybercartography are outlined in Section 1.1. Maps in the form of new kinds of atlases play a central role and this reflects the author's long history and involvement with maps and mapping: Cartographo ergo sum! I believe the process of mapping, including performance mapping, is a basic human instinct (Harmon, 2003; Taylor, 2005). Some of these reflections are presented in my article in the Cartographic Journal Fifty Years of Cartography (Taylor, 2013).

The holism in Cybercartography has its roots in the French human geography school of Vidal de al Blache and others where understanding of the French pays required an integrated understanding of all aspects of the human and physical geography of a region especially at the local scale; it has also been influenced by the thinking of Griffith Taylor (Chapter 1, Taylor 2005). Cybercartography requires a transdisciplinary approach which breaks down the knowledge silos so prevalent till recently and recombines these into new understandings.

The first two cartographic atlases, the Atlas of the Antarctica and the Atlas of Canada's Trade with the World are clear examples of this approach (Taylor, 2019, Chapter 2). A team including 12 different disciplines created the atlases. Cybercartographic atlases cannot be created by cartographers alone unlike many conventional atlases.

Cybercartography has also been influenced by international development theory. The author spent many years looking at developmental issues in Africa and helped produce two books, Development From Above or Below (Stohr and Taylor, 1981) and Development From Within (Taylor and McKenzie, 1991). These books, as their titles suggest, argued that development is best seen from a bottom up perspective which emphasizes the importance of prioritizing local community knowledge and listening to what people have to say rather than top-down controlled approaches. This philosophical and theoretical perspective is reflected in cybercartographic theory and practice (Taylor, 2013; Taylor and Pyne, 2010).

Cybercartography gives control and voice to local people and recognizes the importance of a diversity of opinions rather than black and white solutions. On topics such as the impact and response to environmental change and global warming, for example, there are no clear cut right and wrong answers. There are the perspectives of the politicians, the bureaucrats, the subject experts, the corporate and private sectors, non-government organizations and above all the perspectives of those most directly affected, the local people. The traditional map rarely reflects these multiple perspectives whereas the cyber map allows the presentation of multiple views thus revealing some of the complexities of the challenges and potential responses. This is quite different from the ‘normative’, ‘accurate’ nature of Geographic Information Systems for example or from the somewhat sterile responses of Geographical Information Sciences. Cybercartography has a strong qualitative element and includes art, theatre and a range of human activities, emotions and topics not usually ‘mapped’. Cybercartography is much more than a web-based technique. Although many of these elements were the...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Editor biographies
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Part 1: The evolution of Cybercartography
• Part 2: International dimensions and new applications
• Part 3: New approaches to language mapping
• Conclusion: The future of Cybercartography
• Index