The Change In Ethnography

Throughout the past 40 years there has been a great change in technology with many significant advancements. This has allowed many changes in systems that use technology, one of which being cartography which involves the study and creation of maps. Many major innovations in technology have changed map making capabilities to quite a great extent. These include the advancement of flight, computers and electronic devices which have lead to significant changes of cartography. (1) The use of cartography can be seen in many different contexts including political, economical, social or cultural. This is because of the vast range of data and information that can be collected and mapped to illustrate different contextual matters. Muehrcke wrote in
This is because it can be used in ways which allows information to be displayed and shared in ways which can educate and help many. In terms of politics, cartography has become a very useful tool in the past years. It has allowed the mapping of information including political boundaries and political impacts which allows people a visual representation of data. It has been said that politicalise attitudes have been shaped by the change in cartography despite the extent being unknown. (3) Cartography is significant in relation to the social aspects and has become a key strategy of analysing and communicating public issues including health, urban planning, environmental justice and human rights. This allowance of being able to create maps has allowed many solutions to arise from advocating and the development of maps. Recently a growing appreciation for geographic thinking has taken place as well as increased value towards looking at social and environmental issues through a geographic perspective. (4) The economic context of cartography is seldom discussed despite its significance, especially over the past 40 years as cartography has dramatically increased in popularity. With the rise in demand comes an increase in the demand for jobs. Today, the number of jobs associated with cartography is exponentially higher than it was 40 years ago and therefore positively impacts the economy as it provides jobs for many. Senior managers are now earning salaries upward of $70,000 which is a significant value and is due to the increase in popularity cartography has gained over the past 40 years. (5) Additionally, cartography can be used in displaying maps that show different economics situations. This can include mapping of economic zones which allows people to see where economic activity has changed over the years.