The Shape Shifter
The schoolbus pulled up to the curb. This was Koreatown, my neighborhood in central Los Angeles. Outside, my neighbors eldest son was waiting for me. He was ...
Critical Conservation Cartography
This is a literature review paper covering the topic of critical cartography as it relates to conservation. It was written in my first seminar course in geography at SFSU which was a pleasure to take and where I learned so much about the breadth and scope of geography.
Critical cartography addresses a maps assumptions, powers, weaknesses, and inherent problems. While at a basic level, maps may be perceived by many as a simple image depicting some part of our world (and assumed as such to be trustworthy, or at least objective in its representation of the world), this disarming simplicity belies a deep power to shape ideas; as a commonality, maps give a voice to whomever is creating them and this voice can be seen as the capacity to dictate the terms of how space is used or perceived. In this paper, I will first provide a brief overview of critical cartography concepts and findings since its socio-political foundations in the 1980’s. I will then review how concepts from critical cartography have been used to highlight shortcomings and problems in conservation maps.
Read the full paper here
2020
Critical Conservation Cartography
This is a literature review paper covering the topic of critical cartography as it relates to conservation. It was written in my first seminar course in geog...