Abstract
The field of environmental justice offers many examples of the utility of maps and GIS for illustrating the disproportionate levels of environmental risk being endured by disadvantaged or marginalized racial, ethnic or income groups. However, these have predominantly focused on the distribution of environmental risk rather than focusing on the map-making parties themselves. This research directs attention towards the use of maps and GIS by “local” environmental justice organizations in their calls for environmental justice. I focus on activist engagement with maps and mapping technologies like GIS. Through a survey of community-based environmental organizations, I examine whether these organizations use maps and if so, how maps are produced including the sources of mapping knowledge used in the map-making process. By examining how and why such organizations map environmental hazards and use GIS, this chapter provides insights into the notion of GIS mapping as an empowering practice. I assess the types of maps produced and the data sources used in order to see more clearly potential restrictions on the power and ability of organizations to counter dominant narratives of their communities. This research reveals that while these organizations recognize the importance of maps to their efforts, there are significant differences in the resources and abilities of environmental justice organizations.
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Fuller, T. (2011). Their Data, Our Cause: An Exploration of the Form, Function, and Deployment of Mapping Technologies among Community Environmental Justice Organizations. In: Maantay, J., McLafferty, S. (eds) Geospatial Analysis of Environmental Health. Geotechnologies and the Environment, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0329-2_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0329-2_6
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