The use of maps as a means of conveying geographical information hasn’t changed much since ancient times. But the methods of gathering data for map-making, of course, have changed drastically. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS examines the critical role that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and cartography play in the study of geography and a wide range of disciplines. By exploring topics such as race and identity, the politics of GIS, the mapping of cyberspace, surveillance, and map art, we discover exactly what it means to “use” maps and GIS critically in today’s world.
The book also examines the historical development of mapping, reviews the emergence of thematic mapping in modern Europe, and explores how maps produce space and place. Several real-world case studies illustrate key concepts and provide readers with a practical context for the theoretical approaches and ideas being presented. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS firmly situates mapping at the heart of thinking geographically and provides readers with a solid conceptual foundation in the basic principles of cartography and the technological advances that have changed the face of map-making.
From the Back Cover
The use of maps as a means of conveying geographical information hasn’t changed much since ancient times. But the methods of gathering data for map-making, of course, have changed drastically. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS examines the critical role that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and cartography play in the study of geography and a wide range of disciplines. By exploring topics such as race and identity, the politics of GIS, the mapping of cyberspace, surveillance, and map art, we discover exactly what it means to “use” maps and GIS critically in today’s world.
The book also examines the historical development of mapping, reviews the emergence of thematic mapping in modern Europe, and explores how maps produce space and place. Several real-world case studies illustrate key concepts and provide readers with a practical context for the theoretical approaches and ideas being presented. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS firmly situates mapping at the heart of thinking geographically and provides readers with a solid conceptual foundation in the basic principles of cartography and the technological advances that have changed the face of map-making.
About the Author
Jeremy W. Crampton is Associate Professor of Geography at Georgia State University, where he teaches cartography and political geography. He is the author of The Political Mapping of Cyberspace (2003) and Space, Knowledge and Power: Foucault and Geography (edited with Stuart Elden, 2007), and is the editor of the journal Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization.
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