Analysis of the Text on Cartography

The correct answer is option A. E) Supporting territorial hegemonies.

1. The Central Argument: Cartography as an Instrument of Power

Marcello Martinelli's text demystifies the idea of the map as a neutral and purely scientific representation of reality. The central thesis is that, historically, cartography has been a practical tool with a very clear political purpose.

The key points supporting this thesis are:

• The most notable purpose of maps was to be "at the service of dominationof power". * They always recorded what "interested them most." minority".

This means that maps do not show the world "as it is," but as the ruling elite sees it and wants to control it. They are instruments that help a group exert its authority over a territory, defining borders, registering properties, planning military and trade routes, etc.

2. The Connection with "Sustaining Territorial Hegemonies"

Option E perfectly translates the text's argument into more sociological language:

• Hegemony: It is a synonym for domination and the power exercised by the "minority" mentioned in the text. It refers to the supremacy of one group over others. * Support: It means to support, maintain, reinforce. Maps, when "at the service" of power, fulfill exactly this function of... support the existing domination. * Territorial: The hegemony in question is exercised over space, over the land, which is the object of cartography.

Therefore, cartography is presented as an instrument used essentially for the supporting territorial hegemonies: a tool for groups in power to maintain and reinforce their control over space.

3. Evaluation of Other Alternatives

• A) Preservation of natural spaces: The text does not address the environmental or conservation issue. * B) emancipation of marginalized subjects: The text states the exact opposite. The maps served the dominant minority, not marginalized groups. * C) Revaluation of repressed cultures: Similarly, maps represented the interests of the dominant powers, often ignoring or erasing the repressed cultures of the territory. * D) Reversal of established hierarchies: Incorrect. Cartography, according to the text, was used for maintain and reinforce The goal is to maintain existing hierarchies, not to invert them.

4. Conclusion

In the text, cartography is presented not as a neutral science, but as a technology historically employed for the supporting territorial hegemonies, serving as an instrument of power for dominant groups.