Mapping boundaries, shifting power : the social-ethical dimensions of participatory mapping

Abstract

This chapter and the research project on which it is based emerged out of common and yet distinct concerns among the authors that spatial information technologies – at least in certain contexts and at certain scales – can lead to consequences that raise important ethical questions. We identified three inter-related dimensions in which these consequences have manifested: in conflicts correlated with changing patterns of spatial perceptions and values; in competition related to knowledge and claims of resources; and in relation to structural or organization stresses at the institutional level. Our observation began with discussions in relation to one author (Fox)’s experiences with participatory mapping activities in Southeast Asia, where he has been working since 1983.