Anti-racist mathematics

Anti-racist mathematics
Critical pedagogy
Major works
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Theorists
Paulo Freire · John Dewey
Henry Giroux · Peter McLaren
Joe Kincheloe · Shirley Steinberg
Pedagogy
Anti-oppressive education Anti-bias curriculum Anti-racist mathematics Multicultural education
Curriculum studies Teaching for social justice
Inclusion (education) Humanitarian education
Student-centred learning Popular education Feminist composition · Ecopedagogy Queer pedagogy · Critical literacy Critical reading Critical consciousness
Concepts
Praxis · Hidden curriculum
Consciousness raising Poisonous pedagogy
Related
Reconstructivism · Critical theory
Frankfurt School Political consciousness
education reform theory that sees a need to form a curriculum to counter a perceived bias in mathematics.[citation needed] It claims there is a sociocultural context to mathematical education and suggests that the study of mathematics in Western societies has traditionally exhibited racial or cultural bias.[citation needed]

While 'anti-racist mathematics' and 'ethnomathematics' scholars share the assumption that any given mathematical understanding or practice is a product of a particular culture, the forms of their scholarship differ considerably, and they should not be confused with one another.[citation needed]

Contents

Purpose

Further information: Ethnomathematics

Anti-racist mathematics is primarily concerned with the way in which mathematics is taught, although it also examines the contents of the curriculum in as much as this might reasonably differ from universally acceptable mathematical education.[citation needed] An anti-racist approach to mathematics education could include any or all of the following:

  • Discussion of the mathematical knowledge of ancient civilizations outside of Europe, and non-European contributions to mathematical knowledge and discovery.
  • The avoidance of racial stereotyping when forming and communicating expectations of pupils' attainments in mathematics.
  • The avoidance of racial stereotypes or cultural bias in classroom materials, textbooks, coursework topics and examination questions. For example, common non-European names, such as Sanjeev (Indian), Kumar (Indian) or C'haim (Jewish), could be used in story problems, rather than common European names, like Mary or Emily.
  • Effective and unprejudiced methods of distinguishing between the merits of individuals.

Proponents of anti-racist mathematics believe that anti-racist education programs have the potential to correct imbalances and to have beneficial results on test scores and examination results in some minority groups.[citation needed]

Opposition

Former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made reference to anti-racist mathematics in expressing opposition to "multicultural" and "anti-racist" educational approaches. In her address to the Conservative Party Conference in October 1987, she said how inner city children's opportunities for decent education were being "snatched away from them by hard-left education authorities" and that "children who need to be able to count and multiply are learning anti-racist mathematics, whatever that is."[1] In 2005, Liza Porteus of Fox News reported that an "anti-racist mathematics" program in the Newton Public Schools district of the wealthy Newton, Massachusetts community angered some parents, who perceived the program to focus more on political correctness than mathematics itself.[2]

References

  • Woodrow, D. (1989). Multicultural and anti-racist mathematics teaching. In P. Ernest (Ed.), Mathematics teaching: The state of the art (pp. 229–235). London: Falmer.
  • Cotton, A. (1990). Anti-racist mathematics teaching and the national curriculum. Mathematics Teaching, 132, 22-26.
  • Levidow, L. (1987). Racism in scientific innovation. In D. Gill and L. Levidow (Eds.), Anti-racist science teaching (pp. 43–58). London: Free Association.
  • Vance, M. (1987). Biology teaching in a racist society. In D. Gill and L. Levidow (Eds.), Anti-racist science teaching. (pp. 107–123). London: Free Association.
  • Young, R. M. (1987). Racist society, racist science. In D. Gill and L. Levidow (Eds.), Anti-racist science teaching. (pp. 16–42). London: Free Association.
  • Mears, T. (1986). Multicultural and anti-racist approaches to the teaching of science in schools. In J. Guadara, C. Jones and K. Kimberley (Eds.), Racism, diversity and education (pp. 154–166). London: Hodder and Stoughton.
  • The Politics of Anti-Racist Mathematics in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Political Dimensions of Mathematics Education, (Ed. R. Noss), Institute of Education Publications, University of London, 1990.
  • The Politics of Anti-Racist Mathematics, European Education Journal, July 1994, pp. 67–74
  • Harding, Sandra. The Science Question in Feminism. 1986.

Notes

  1. ^ Quoted from King, Anna S.; Reiss, Michael J. (1993). The Multicultural Dimension of the National Curriculum. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. p. 26. ISBN 9780750700696. http://books.google.com/books?id=5Q3MFCr7ht0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Children+who+need+to+be+able+to+count+and+multiply+are+learning+anti-racist+mathematics,+whatever+that+is.%22#PPA26,M1. 
  2. ^ Porteus, Liza (2005-02-08). "'Anti-Racist' Message in Mass. Math Class". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,146684,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-26. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Anti-racism — includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined …   Wikipedia

  • Mathematics education — A mathematics lecture at Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Educational Research …   Wikipedia

  • List of mathematics articles (A) — NOTOC A A Beautiful Mind A Beautiful Mind (book) A Beautiful Mind (film) A Brief History of Time (film) A Course of Pure Mathematics A curious identity involving binomial coefficients A derivation of the discrete Fourier transform A equivalence A …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-Italianism — is a hostility toward Italian people and Italian culture. It uses stereotypes about Italian people, a popular one being that most Italians are naturally violent, or somehow associated with the Mafia. Like most racist and biased sentiments, anti… …   Wikipedia

  • Critical pedagogy — Major works Pedagogy of the Oppressed …   Wikipedia

  • Whiteness studies — is an interdisciplinary arena of academic inquiry focused on the cultural, historical and sociological aspects of people identified as white, and the social construction of whiteness as an ideology tied to social status. Pioneers in the field… …   Wikipedia

  • Ethnomathematics — is the study of the relationship between mathematics and culture. It refers to a broad cluster of ideas ranging from distinct numerical and mathematical systems to multicultural mathematics education. The goal of ethnomathematics is to contribute …   Wikipedia

  • Multicultural education — Critical pedagogy Major works Pedagogy of the Oppressed …   Wikipedia

  • Math wars — is the debate over modern mathematics education, textbooks and curricula in the United States that was triggered by the publication in 1989 of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics by the National Council of Teachers of… …   Wikipedia

  • Popular education — Critical pedagogy Major works Pedagogy of the Oppressed …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”