SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Techniques for advanced computing and enhanced imaging have transformed the ways planners, geographers, surveyors, and others think about and visualize places, regions, and peoples. The Social Implications of Geographic Information Systems is the first book to explicitly address the role of geographic information systems (GIS) in their social context. Contributing authors consider the ideas and practices that have emerged among GIS users, demonstrating how they reflect the material and political interests of certain groups. Chapters also discuss the impact of new GIS technologies on the discipline of geography, and evaluate the role of GIS within the wider transformations of free-market capitalism. Presenting thought-provoking essays by leading scholars, the book lays the groundwork for a critical rethinking of GIS that will open up an important debate.