For this week’s blog post and critique of a digital humanities mapping project, I chose the 19th Century Caribbean Cholera TimeMap created by ten individuals from the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute. This mapping project combines the use of a geographical map, timeline, and several variables followed across both of the media as well as further description by employing the use of published articles and news stories concerning the occurrences. The timeline covers three separate time periods including: 1833-1834, 1850-1856, and 1865-1872. On the two displays, the variables shown are cholera outbreaks, hurricanes, tropical storms, and news articles. It is clear to see from observing the set of data without delving into the it too much that the main goal of this project is to find a correlation between natural disasters, hurricanes and tropical storms, and the outbreak, spread, and general prevalence of cholera in the Caribbean.
David Turnbull puts forth the argument that all mapping data visualizations are perspectival and subjective. This assertion falls in line with the definition of “narrative” that we have been exploring in class. Both of these statements mean to elaborate on how the researcher or data collector is the individual who deems what is important in the dataset and what will ultimately be used to argue for a stance of their choosing. This means that in some circumstances that the data is somewhat misrepresented to promote the researcher’s own agenda.
Using this knowledge garnered from Turnbull and what has been taught thus far concerning narratives, one can see how this mapping visualization can be skewed. The researchers are attributing cholera outbreaks solely to the occurrence of natural disasters. This is an over-generalization because cholera is due to the consumption unsanitary water or food. While it is true that tropical storms and hurricanes play a role in causing cholera outbreaks, they are not the only cause. Only using this dataset, one would come to the assumption that cholera outbreaks were directly caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. In reality, there are many causes to cholera outbreaks including poor infrastructure of water and sanitation systems, geographical location, and economic status and industrialization of the country in question.
This map reveals that there is a correlation between the occurrences of tropical storms and hurricanes with cholera outbreaks in the Caribbean; however, it obscures what the other possible causes may be and whether or not these tropical storms and hurricanes are simply correlated or have an actual causal effect.
I believe a better mapping visualization for this project would involve other variables that could provide causation or correlation for cholera outbreaks, a shaded gradient scale of the country’s GDP, and provide the year that the country industrialized. The inclusion of these variables would further elucidate the cause of cholera outbreaks.
The correlation you made between the definition of “narrative” we have discussed in class and Turnbull’s statements about perspectival maps is a great distinction! Your post made it clear how maps are able to tell a narrative virtually without words by only showing a particular variable. It makes me wonder what the ultimate motive of the creators of this mapping project is–possibly trying to diminish any state responsibility for cholera outbreaks? I think your idea of a gradient scale of GDP would be interesting to look at!
Great analysis of this map! I think you bring up some really great points about how the project seems to suggest that the only cause for cholera is the natural disasters. I also like how you included some of Drucker’s principles by suggesting a map which incorporates a gradient scale to show the blurred lines. I think it would also be interesting if you explored what relationship the mapping project suggests there exists between the news articles and cholera outbreaks. Overall, great blog post!!