Maps and emotions: Map movilized farmers

You can download the map (5.0 MB) version here

This map with potential locations of  a new highway corridor between New Hamburg and Stratford in southern Ontario. I studied the maps of this Ontario Ministry of Transportation  highway corridor study and environmental assessment quite a bit and plan to write some posts on how maps can be used to 'frame' an issue, that is, with or without intention, try to naturalize a perspectival view as natural and objective.THE Truth, ALL the Truth, and  NOTHING BUT the Truth.

For the moment however a few words on maps and emotions. Not only do emotions substantially influence the way we make sense out of a map, maps can also be what neuro-scientist Antonio Damasio calls 'emotionally competent stimuli', that is, they can trigger or arouse emotions. (For a good example see my post on 'the Swiss Cheese Map').

Anybody can quickly figure out that that out of the myriad of route alternatives on the above map only one could be chosen to actually construct a highway. However, the visual impact on many owners of farm businesses living and working under these 'broad yellow brush strokes' that 'covered all the land' was already caused before those farmers started conscious reasoning on the map. Our emotions are the outcome of very fast evaluative processes, and the feelings they produce precede and provide direction to our conscious thinking.The strong feelings caused by this map provided much of the impulse that led to the constitution of the Agricultural Business Communities of Perth East, Perth South, and Wilmot West (ABC), according to one of the leaders of the group .

While at the University of Waterloo, and now from Ontario's north I assist the group in putting it's information and perspectives ignored by the Ministry, on the map. More on this in a later post.