ABSTRACT
Cultural mapping is a process of collecting, recording, analyzing, and synthesizing information in order to describe the cultural resources, networks, links, and patterns of usage of a given community or group. Cultural mapping projects usually operate in a budget-controlled and heavily purpose-oriented mode in which the mapping project is often tactic within a broader strategy, such as a cultural or economic development program. A useful way to categorize cultural mapping projects is to think of them as placeable on a space demarcated by three axes, or continua, each defined by a pair of extremes. These pairs of extremes: identity vs. knowledge, past vs. future, and inside vs. outside are pure types of objectives pursued in cultural mapping projects. While featuring a wide range of applications and methodological variations, cultural mapping projects are invariably interested in favoring some transformation in the state of our object of study, while, at the same time, pursuing the advancement of knowledge regarding the research object.
