I posted this on the CDU Learnline Assignment 2 discussion board earlier today. I felt that it would be useful (and reflective) to post it here.
After many more readings; I am more and more convinced that Ethno mathematics should be separated from Ethnic mathematics. Although definitions vary slightly, they all seem to consider cultures as recognisable sets of people. If we consider this definition, then by nature we run the risk of imposing stereotypical views, by assuming that a given set of people are an homogeneous group. As per the start of my post above; we may even marginalise those students further, or alienate others; thereby ‘excluding’ by ‘including’; exactly the opposite of what was intended. As I’ve mentioned in another post (in response to Renae McIntosh’s blog): much cultural knowledge is intrinsic – that is it’s known, but cannot easily be transferred to others through verbalisation or text – so it is very difficult to include cultural content or knowledge without removing it from the beliefs, values and practices which make it unique, and special. Pais (2011) suggests the practice of including ‘traditional knowledge’ could even be considered ‘racist’ – squeezing it into the curriculum because of its difference, in the name of catering to diversity. Let alone the notion that the included content is considered ‘mathematical’ only by Western views and standards.
Consider this quote from the Matrix Movies:
Mouse: That’s exactly my point. Exactly. Because you have to wonder: how do the machines know what Tasty Wheat tasted like? Maybe they got it wrong. Maybe what I think Tasty Wheat tasted like actually tasted like oatmeal, or tuna fish. That makes you wonder about a lot of things. You take chicken, for example: maybe they couldn’t figure out what to make chicken taste like, which is why chicken tastes like everything. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/quotes)
When we talk about ‘Aboriginal ways of knowing’ or ‘cultural mathematics’ what do we really know? To verbalise these intrinsic knowledges and beliefs, which are valued for cultural reasons; we are more than likely seeing the cultural content through the eyes of an outsider – imposing our values, and compressing the complexity of the non-Euro cultural knowledge. Pais (2011) provides an example related to indigenous housing:
A group of people visited an indigenous community with the view to using ‘indigenous housing’ in school mathematics. In doing so, they changed what was a community activity with particular rituals and knowledge; and turned it into abstract mathematical concepts: characteristics of a triangle and Pythagoras’s theorem… Artificial, and Formal. Pias further suggested, that even if this cultural content had been incorporated into other curriculum areas, it would still lose meaning – a curiosity, which even if the children could relate to; would only be useful in their local communities; not school; and not in a globalised world.
Further, as pointed out by my half-sister Kathryn, who is Aboriginal, and has just completed her degree – of the children in her 3/4 maths class, it was not always the Aboriginal students who were struggling with maths. Therefore; one cannot assume that a particular group of children will be the ones who need a particular type of support. Putting the child at the centre of learning; in mathematics or any other subject area; involves understanding the individual cultures of our children. As per the compulsory learning unit (CUC107) which I did in the first year of my degree: everyone has an individual culture, which is derived from their personal experiences, and prior knowledge.
Presuming, as per the current school system, that everyone has to learn formal mathematics (or school mathematics), then as per Begg (2001); Ethnomathematics is justified if considered in the pedagogical context of constructivism:
Beginning with where the child is at.
Starting with their interests
Bringing a human face to mathematics (my interpretation is recgonisable, and tangible support for learning).
Thanks for reading,
Feel free to share your views 🙂
Leanne
REFERENCES:
Begg, A. (2001). Ethnomathematics: Why, and what else? ZDM, 33(3), 71-74. doi: 10.1007/bf02655697
D’Ambrosio, U. (2001). What Is Ethnomathematics, and How Can It Help Children in Schools? Teaching Children Mathematics, 7(6), 308.
Pais, A. (2011). Criticisms and contradictions of ethnomathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 76(2), 209-230. doi: 10.1007/s10649-010-9289-7
Ethnomathematics 
Hi Leanne, Well done on your blog, you have done some really great work!!
I too have been thinking about the culture of each individual and how this can be immensely different for children even of the same background. I like that you have pointed out that much cultural knowledge is intrinsic. If a teacher were to become knowledgeable on a different culture in the classroom, it would still be done through their eyes and I believe impossible to work with another culture without leaving their values behind…..I wonder about the implications of this….how likely it would be that while trying to value or work from another culture, it is actually missing the true meanings or worse insulting it…..
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I just left a comment but it doesn’t seem to have worked…? Just seeing if this one will.
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Hi Leanne, I have tried to comment on here a couple times, but for some reason it will just not post, so I’m adding my website in the request box below, to see if it makes a difference!
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Hi Leanne, I find it interesting that you have been referring back to CUC107 as I have also been doing so. What I have found interesting is that some of the Department of Education Policy’s that I referred to during that unit have now changed quite considerably.
Well done on a very interesting Blog.
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Hi Leanne,
You give an interesting perspective. Every person (not only student) that comes into the classroom comes with their own culture. I think it is as equally important that we are aware of our own culture so that we are aware of our own perspective of culture.
I do feel that giving students the chance to relate mathematics to not only their own culture, but those of others, giving them real life examples, is a way of not only introducing other cultures to them, but also giving them real meaning of how mathematics is used.
This post also points out just how it is that every student has a different learning style, and surely, for meaningful teaching that should be taken into consideration. If we want students to achieve higher standards, they need the opportunity to use more than the normal learning strategy. that includes having some flexibility in how lessons are taught.
Elaine.
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Hi Elaine,
Thank you for your very thoughtful comments!
The individual nature of cultural perspective is the crux of my post. Being aware that we all have different views; and understanding that the physical/overt objects and practices of the culture do not constitute the whole culture anymore than my perspectives of those objects and practices do.
Learning styles are something many people attribute to individual cultures, and students, but like you said, different ways of addressing problems is actually great for learning. Ryan (1992) suggests interactive practices are better than cognitive practices for teaching Aboriginal children – I assume the same would benefit all children – regardless of perceived learning styles. Further; Gibbons refers to ‘message abundance’ (2015); allowing students to have multiple opportunities to interact with new ideas in different ways, to give them more than one chance to access the information for learning.
Although my original post (above) portrays mathematical labels as a different perspective, in a negative light; they do allow students the opportunity to think about their world in a different way, because as per Boroditsky (2011); language can affect the way people think, so by changing the way they talk, we can change the way they think about the world around them. This is relevant for everyone – as you said – we can all learn from each other.
Thanks again for commenting – the discussion allows me to keep thinking and learning 🙂
Kind regards,
Leanne
References:
Boroditsky, L. (2011). How Language Shapes Thought. Scientific American, 304(2), 62-65.
Gibbons, P. (2015). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning : teaching English language learners in the mainstream classroom (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinesmann.
Ryan, J. (1992). Aboriginal learning styles: A critical review. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 5(3), 161-183. doi: 10.1080/07908319209525124
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