Maps: A Short Introduction

That we refer meaningfully to the map or to maps points to our common acceptance of a single conceptual entity. The purpose of Maps will be to lead undergraduate and graduate students in geography, as well as students in other disciplines, into the complexities of the concept.

Maps will contrue maps to be representations of spatial relationship. While graphic images will form its principal focus, it will also necessarily explore how non-graphic inscriptions and performances must be understood as maps. Moreover, maps are not just representations of the world; they are also powerful normative tools which guide human action in space. The instrumentality of maps recommends maps to students in geography: to understand spatial practices we need a sophisticated, non-trivial understanding of the map concept.

Chapter 1: What are maps? A non-trivial definition (10pages)

Chapter 2: An ethnography of the Map Concept in the West (35pages)

Chapter 3: Explicating the Critical Map Concept (30pages)

Chapter 4: Working with Maps. Two case examples

Chapter 5: Further Resources