Gerilyn Beck, Geography
A form of deceptive information is concealed in our midst-one all the more malignant, for the ignorance of its audience leaves them vulnerable to a pervasive persuasion. I am speaking of cartographic display, a little understood and highly available transmitter of information that we accept trustfully.
I have focused on the cartographic relationship to xenophobia. Xenophobia, psychological dread of foreigners and strangers, has recently overshadowed Europe, in particular the prosperous nations of France, Germany, and Britain.
Is cartographic propaganda partly responsible for the wave of ethnic panic sweeping Western Europe? My study has attempted to answer this important query. First, I researched the scientific and technical aspects of map distortion, including how orientation, division, and the use of color can affect our evaluation of a map when we look at it.
As a background to this study, I examined historical examples of cartographic manipulation, including past military and governmental propaganda to provoke xenophobia in their circles of influence. Prime examples included the propaganda ministers of the Third Reich, the Soviet Union, and twentieth century French-English political media–probably the most dangerous so far, as it is a highly trusted and accepted form of communication.
Third, I have explored how feelings of xenophobic hysteria have been fed by distortions common to maps. Europe’s “cultural superiority” has been a self-awarded geographic tribute for centuries, and many of these same sentiments still prevail–this can be shown through the cartographic examples I found and their accompanying literature.
Examples of xenophobic cartography have been a primary resource throughout the project in graphic exhibits, and enhanced by discussions of the immigration trends in Western Europe and their results. I have found that just as xenophobia fuels explosive cartography and comment, so also does subtle cartographic propaganda fuel xenophobia.
Next, I analyzed my theory that incorrect or severely distorted maps can, with repeated opportunity, influence for the worse the way we look at the world as a whole. I also discovered that how a map is presented and discussed, as well as the subject of the map, has a great effect on its effective penetration of our usually unwary collective subconscious.
What was not a part of my plan of work was to discredit mapmakers or to discount the value of cartography. Instead, I wanted to encourage educated criticism and informed judgement of maps. There are methods the public may individually and collectively employ to fight ignorance and manipulation, and I tried to focus on these in my project.
The bulk of my research came from recent periodicals (post-1990) and science journals, primarily European. Articles on cartography, visual propaganda, psychology, and recent outbreaks of xenophobia in Europe have been cited. Both historical as well as recent books have also constituted a principal portion of my research.
I have found and wished to display graphic and pictorial examples which, while constituting a major and necessary portion of my evidence, show how map distortion influences our view of the world and our feelings, positive or negative, toward its inhabitants. However, their reproduction I found to be too difficult and costly to present here.
Another major resource has been the well-versed and highly accessible information held by my BYU professors. Former class notes, lectures, and interviews are frequently used in my project. Since my project is relatively new, much of what I will present will have to be further proved and discussed by myself and others in my field in the future.
My ultimate goals have been, and are: 1) to promote the use of clarity and fidelity in general cartographic material and 2) to educate the general public in the evaluation of maps by questioning the sources, veracity, and messages of the maps they view. Cartography is as ancient and important an invention as the printing press. Like the printed word, a map is a powerful tool of information that can be twisted into a vigorous weapon of panic propaganda.