The constitutive power of maps in the Arctic
(2019) In Lund Political Studies- Abstract
- As maps are widely used, circulated, and recognised, they have consequences for how people view and understand the world. They mediate political meaning-making and frame the conditions for political alternatives to emerge or to be silenced. In contrast to dominant approaches to the study of the power of maps that consider their political influence on the basis of the intentions of the map-maker, this thesis emphasises the constitutive power of maps and the visual representations prevalent within them. Moreover, it attempts to further conversations between the fields of visual politics and critical cartography by investigating the power of maps in international politics. It does so by developing three theoretical assumptions about the... (More)
- As maps are widely used, circulated, and recognised, they have consequences for how people view and understand the world. They mediate political meaning-making and frame the conditions for political alternatives to emerge or to be silenced. In contrast to dominant approaches to the study of the power of maps that consider their political influence on the basis of the intentions of the map-maker, this thesis emphasises the constitutive power of maps and the visual representations prevalent within them. Moreover, it attempts to further conversations between the fields of visual politics and critical cartography by investigating the power of maps in international politics. It does so by developing three theoretical assumptions about the constitutive power effects of maps: cartographic truth-claiming, cartographic naturalisation, and cartographic materialisation. To illustrate and examine these effects, a two-step analytical framework for interpreting and deconstructing maps is presented and applied to the study of three contemporary maps: a world map using the Web Mercator projection, a map of the changes in Arctic sea ice, and a set of two maps depicting the oil and gas potentials in the Arctic. The analysis focuses on the ways in which maps limit and enable certain conceptualisations of ‘the Arctic’ and politics within the region. The thesis concludes by contending that maps perform the political by shaping generally held assumptions about the ‘reality’ of the Arctic, both in terms of its ‘challenges’ and ‘opportunities’, and therefore serving particular interests as well as giving rise to ideas and visions about the region’s future. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Kartor används, cirkuleras och erkänns och har därmed konsekvenser för hur människor uppfattar världen. Kartor förmedlar politiskt meningsskapande och sätter ramar för vilka politiska alternativ som får komma till tals eller som tystas ned. Till skillnad från dominerande tillvägagångssätt för att studera makten hos kartor, som betraktar kartors politiska inflytande utifrån kartproducentens avsikter, utgår denna avhandling från kartors konstituerande makt och de visuella representationer som kommer till uttryck i kartor. Genom att undersöka kartans makt i internationell politik, integrerar avhandlingen också studier i visuell politik och kritisk kartografi. Detta görs genom att tre teoretiska antaganden om konstitutiva effekter av kartors... (More)
- Kartor används, cirkuleras och erkänns och har därmed konsekvenser för hur människor uppfattar världen. Kartor förmedlar politiskt meningsskapande och sätter ramar för vilka politiska alternativ som får komma till tals eller som tystas ned. Till skillnad från dominerande tillvägagångssätt för att studera makten hos kartor, som betraktar kartors politiska inflytande utifrån kartproducentens avsikter, utgår denna avhandling från kartors konstituerande makt och de visuella representationer som kommer till uttryck i kartor. Genom att undersöka kartans makt i internationell politik, integrerar avhandlingen också studier i visuell politik och kritisk kartografi. Detta görs genom att tre teoretiska antaganden om konstitutiva effekter av kartors makt utvecklas: kartografiskt sanningspåstående, kartografisk naturalisering och kartografisk materialisering. För att illustrera och undersöka dessa effekter presenteras ett analytiskt ramverk för att tolka och dekonstruera kartor. Detta ramverk tillämpas på tre samtida kartor: en världskarta baserad på Web Mercator-projektionen, en karta över förändringarna i arktisk havsis, och en uppsättning av två kartor som visar olje- och gaspotentialen i Arktis. Analysen fokuserar de sätt på vilka kartor begränsar vissa och möjliggör andra begreppsliggöranden av ‘Arktis’ och politik inom regionen. Avhandlingens slutsats är att kartor gör politik genom att utforma allmänt hållna antaganden om Arktis’ ‘verklighet’ avseende dess ‘utmaningar’ och ‘möjligheter’. På så sätt tjänar kartan särskilda såväl som att ge upphov till idéer och visioner om Arktis’ framtid. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/a906ced2-fe6a-4a5b-879e-c8c6a315a48c
- author
- Lindberg, Helena Gonzales LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Hoogensen Gjørv, Gunhild, University of Tromsø / The Arctic University of Norway
- organization
- alternative title
- Kartors konstituerande makt i Arktis
- publishing date
- 2019-10-04
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Maps, Power, Politics, Representation, Visual politics, Critical cartography, the Arctic, Google Maps, NSIDC, USGS, kartor, makt, politik, representationer, visuell politik, kritisk kartografi, Arktis, Google Maps, NSIDC, USGS
- in
- Lund Political Studies
- issue
- 199
- pages
- 228 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Eden Auditorium, Allhelgona kyrkogata 14, Lund
- defense date
- 2019-10-25 10:15:00
- ISSN
- 0460-0037
- 0460-0037
- ISBN
- 978-91-7753-988-9
- 978-91-7753-989-6
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Disputation detailjer: Datum: 2019-10-25 Tid: 10:15 Plats: Edens hörsal, Allhelgona kyrkogata 14, Lund Fakultetsopponent: Namn: Hoogensen Gjørv, Gunhild Titel: Professor Anslutning: University of Tromsø / The Arctic University of Norway
- id
- a906ced2-fe6a-4a5b-879e-c8c6a315a48c
- date added to LUP
- 2019-09-30 11:58:19
- date last changed
- 2020-06-22 16:05:55
@phdthesis{a906ced2-fe6a-4a5b-879e-c8c6a315a48c,
abstract = {{As maps are widely used, circulated, and recognised, they have consequences for how people view and understand the world. They mediate political meaning-making and frame the conditions for political alternatives to emerge or to be silenced. In contrast to dominant approaches to the study of the power of maps that consider their political influence on the basis of the intentions of the map-maker, this thesis emphasises the constitutive power of maps and the visual representations prevalent within them. Moreover, it attempts to further conversations between the fields of visual politics and critical cartography by investigating the power of maps in international politics. It does so by developing three theoretical assumptions about the constitutive power effects of maps: cartographic truth-claiming, cartographic naturalisation, and cartographic materialisation. To illustrate and examine these effects, a two-step analytical framework for interpreting and deconstructing maps is presented and applied to the study of three contemporary maps: a world map using the Web Mercator projection, a map of the changes in Arctic sea ice, and a set of two maps depicting the oil and gas potentials in the Arctic. The analysis focuses on the ways in which maps limit and enable certain conceptualisations of ‘the Arctic’ and politics within the region. The thesis concludes by contending that maps perform the political by shaping generally held assumptions about the ‘reality’ of the Arctic, both in terms of its ‘challenges’ and ‘opportunities’, and therefore serving particular interests as well as giving rise to ideas and visions about the region’s future.}},
author = {{Lindberg, Helena Gonzales}},
isbn = {{978-91-7753-988-9}},
issn = {{0460-0037}},
keywords = {{Maps; Power; Politics; Representation; Visual politics; Critical cartography; the Arctic; Google Maps; NSIDC; USGS; kartor; makt; politik; representationer; visuell politik; kritisk kartografi; Arktis; Google Maps; NSIDC; USGS}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
number = {{199}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Political Studies}},
title = {{The constitutive power of maps in the Arctic}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/70153744/Lindberg_The_constitutive_power_of_maps_in_the_Arctic_2019.pdf}},
year = {{2019}},
}