新作坊 Humanity Innovation and Social Practice

Abstract

Mapping is both a depiction of real geographical spaces and a medium for constructing the perceived "reality" within specific socio-cultural contexts, portraying aspects of knowledge and power. Brian Harley advocates for critical cartography as a way to break free from the traditional perspective of maps as neutral outcomes of rationality and science. Harley points out that maps are both products of power and tools for producing power; they reinforce the power and interests of minority groups. To avoid reducing maps to textual fields dominated by specific interests and power, this study starts from the socio-cultural dimension of maps emphasized by Harley (1989). Based on a collaborative project by a university and the Paiwan community to map traditional place names, this study reflects on how Foucault's idea that "power is everywhere, not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere" affects the democratization of maps hoped for by Harley (1990). Furthermore, from the perspective of post-representational cartography, this study points out how the university responds to the traditional view that "maps must embody the power of specific families in the community to construct reality" when dealing with the hierarchy and spatial relationships of the Paiwan community. It deconstructs the diverse power conflicts between the state and the locality in the contemporary context, actively constructing a "real" map that fits the local community's perception.