Selling the south: Marketing and commercialisation of Antarctica

This chapter details the range of material and imaginary resources that have been taken from Antarctica, and provides the context for the continent's commercialisation. How different people view this situation depends on their values and on their 'Antarctic imaginary' - the cluster of values, tropes and ideas that they associate with the place. The cultural frame through which we view Antarctica is often taken for granted, but it is this frame that plays a vital role in shaping our values and priorities. The second part of the chapter therefore examines representa­tions of the continent in the advertising media, highlighting the various ways Antarctica has been used symbolically.