Feminist cartography or feminist mapping: what's in a name?

Keywords: cartography, maps, gender, history of geography
Session Type: Virtual Paper
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 4/9/2021 11:10 AM (Pacific Time (US & Canada)) - 4/9/2021 12:25 PM (Pacific Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 17

Abstract

Matthew Edney has recently argued for the end of the use of the word “cartography” and its fixation on the creation of “ideal” maps, calling for the embracing of “mapping” to refocus attention on process of creating maps (Edney 2019). While Edney does not address explicitly the gendering of the field, the word cartography has long been associated with the masculinist practices of geography, essential to the control of space and resources. This paper considered the implications of language – of cartography versus mapping – in considering feminist practices of producing and utilizing maps. I argue that feminist mapping has been practiced for well over one hundred years by women in many parts of the globe. By embracing the phrase “feminist mapping,” it ties into a rich history of feminist counter-mapping and opens up a space for mapping for a more equitable future for all.