Tuesday, 19 September 2017

MERCATOR PROJECTION MAP


CLAIM
IMPLICATION OF THE CLAIM
The first claim Walters states is that the Mercator projection is wrong.
The implication of this claim is that the countries on this map were wrongly scaled in terms of surface area (i.e. Africa is larger than Europe in the new map)
The second claim is that the Mercator map promotes ethical bias.
According to an episode of the American drama series, “West Wing”, the Mercator projection was created under European imperialist attitudes, promoting western civilization against the developing world.
The third statement is that Boston is gradually introducing the Gall-Peters map to schools in Boston.
There are 125 schools, with 86% non-white, are introducing it to one grade level in elementary school, middle school, and high school. Seeing as how the Mercator projection was to put Europe at the center of the world, this inaccuracy and no acknowledgment of other countries “real” size can have a negative effect on students.

-                         Look up these key words:

Paradigm shift–
a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.
"geophysical evidence supporting Wegener's theory led to a rapid paradigm shift in the earth sciences"
(source à Dictionary.com)

Ethical Bias–
inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair. Ethical bias would be to make decisions purely on one’s own taught morals rather than letting facts govern choice.
"there was evidence of bias against black applicants"
(source à Dictionary.com)

European Imperialism–
the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies. 
European global expansion had actually begun in the fifteenth century, but the process greatly accelerated in the nineteenth century. Latin America and the seaports of Asia and Africa were the first to be colonized by Europeans.
(source à Dictionary.com)