Maps, Space, and Visualizing Place

What is the "spatial turn" and what does it mean for your field? This session opens Module III by examining how digital mapping tools both reveal and obscure the production of space. From critical cartography to counter-mapping, we explore spatial history and the politics of place — asking what maps really do and whose stories they tell.

Short midterm presentations followed by deeper engagement with spatial tools and theory. Find one or two maps in the news to present to the class. How does GPS dependence create new vulnerabilities? This session moves from theory to practice — examining how space is socially produced and how digital mapping can both reinforce and challenge dominant spatial narratives.