“France is at the center of Europe, and Europe at the center of the world, so France is the center of the world.”
This phrase, spoken by my 4th-grade teacher during a geography class, makes me reflect today.
Can a world map reinforce ethnocentrism by influencing our perceptions? Even lead us to feel superior to others?
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to prioritize the ethnic group to which we belong and to make it the only reference point.
Let’s take a closer look:
Map 1
This map is familiar to us. It is based on the Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century, and it gives a distorted impression of the size of territories by enlarging countries near the poles, like European countries, while countries near the equator, such as those in Africa, appear smaller.
For example, on the map, Sweden appears twice as large as Madagascar, while in reality, Madagascar is 30% larger than Sweden.
This distortion can lead to a skewed perception of the relative importance of regions in the world, reinforcing feelings of superiority or inferiority.
Map 2
This is probably the first time you’ve seen this map. It’s a recent Chinese design that places China at the center of the world.
This map, like the previous one, can unconsciously give the impression that some regions are more important than others.
Map 3
This map is by far my favorite. It shows the different regions of the world with their correct proportions and reminds us that the Earth is a sphere! As such, there is no “correct” way to view it.
I am Benjamin Benyettou-Oribi, a consultant and trainer in DE&I. I help companies on their journey toward inclusion and diversity.