Mercator Projection v. Gall-Peters Projection
TOK homework assignment 1
based on the article:
"Boston public schools map switch aims to amend 500 years of distortion"
Claim |
Implication of the claim |
Boston schools stopped using Mercator’s projection, since it isn’t
an effective tool of cartography
|
The Eurocentric
map (exaggerates the size of imperialist powers) by making South America about
the same size as Europe, making Greenland look the same size as Africa and
making Alaska looks bigger than Mexico, even though the opposite is the
actual truth. It also places Germany in middle of the map, not to the north,
where it truly is located
|
Boston schools started
using the Gall-Peters projection as it is an “equal-area” map
|
The Gall-Peters map
doesn’t distort the shape of countries, but rather accurately scales the
surface area. It is a very valid source, according to ODT founder Bob Abramms,
who says so because it is “showing correct size and proportion of the
continents.”
|
Boston schools intend
to shift away from presenting white history as the dominant perspective
|
By first introducing
the Gall-Peters projection in one grade level in each branch of school and then
all grades, Boston public schools intend to “decolonize the curriculum” in
the schools because it generates an “ethical bias” for “western civilization”
against the developing world.
|
• Paradigm shift:
location.
• Ethical bias
Ethical bias, also known as
conformity bias is refers to our tendency to behave like those around us and
favour the majority ethnicity, rather than using your own personal judgment. It
also involves associating proper behaviour
from the actions of others rather than exercise our own independent judgment.
• European Imperialism
In
19th century european nations began to colonise territory
all over the world (colonial expansion).
European states established their
empires and colonies in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Their motives for
imperialism vary and are vast, but some reasons include economic,
political, and cultural motives, along with the belief in social
darwinism, which supports 'survival of the fittest'
American physicist and philosopher Thomas
Khun identified this as "fundamental
change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of
a scientific discipline." In the article, it refers to the shift
of peoples pre-existing ideas of the location of countries to
the real and accurate
location.
Ethical bias, also known as
conformity bias is refers to our tendency to behave like those around us and
favour the majority ethnicity, rather than using your own personal judgment. It
also involves associating proper behaviour
from the actions of others rather than exercise our own independent judgment.
In
19th century european nations began to colonise territory
all over the world (colonial expansion).
European states established their
empires and colonies in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Their motives for
imperialism vary and are vast, but some reasons include economic,
political, and cultural motives, along with the belief in social
darwinism, which supports 'survival of the fittest'
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