MAPPING INEQUALITIES

A GENEALOGICAL ANALYSIS OF INEQUALITY VISUALIZATION FROM HISTORICAL MAPS TO CONTEMPORARY DIGITAL INTERFACES

Abstract

This study investigates the evolution of inequality visualization through a genealogical analysis spanning, inside the topic, from early 19th-century maps to contemporary digital interfaces.  The research documents how graphic representation of social disparities has progressively evolved from a documentation tool to a device of resistance and active participation. After an introduction to the theme of inequality and the potential of graphic visualizations to represent highly complex issues, the paper presents some examples of disparity mapping from past centuries. The analysis of emblematic historical cases – from Parent du Châtelet's and W.E.B. Du Bois's maps to William Bunge's militant visualizations – reveals how each era has developed specific modalities for visual translation of social data to represent the multiplicity of inequalities. In the second part of the text, three contemporary case studies exemplify the transition toward interactive paradigms that integrate gamification, big data analytics, and forms of participatory advocacy.  

The research demonstrates how this evolution constitutes an epistemological revolution that transforms users from passive recipients to active 
co-constructors of knowledge. Finally, the conclusions highlight how current cases represent a transitional phase toward possible post-digital configurations, emphasizing the need to orient emerging technologies toward democratizing access to knowledge and amplifying marginalized voices.