Customer Reviews

Ethnomathematics: Challenging Eurocentrism in Mathematics Education (S U N Y Series, Reform in Mathematics Education)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Drs. Powell and Frankenstein have written an excellent reference for mathematics educators. The book presents a well documented argument in favor of teaching mathematics from a multicultural perspective. The chapter on Marx and Mathematics was of particular interest to me because many students of calculus do not know about Marx's interest in the development of the derivative. The book also points out that it is important for students to know that the genesis of mathematics began in Africa. The book includes a comprehensive list of bibliographical references. In my opinion, this book receives an "A". Mathematicians, mathematics educators, and practitioners of mathematics should carefully study the text. I will definitely recommend this book to my colleagues. Skeptics and proponents of ethnomathematics would benefit from this book. This is an excellent piece of literature in the field of mathematics education and ethnomathematics.

Dr. Eduardo Arismendi-Pardi, Professor of Mathematics, Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, P. O. Box 5005, Costa Mesa, California 92628-5005.

While it is the 'business' of mathematics to come to 'true' statements, just as it is the business of science to find and record facts, the methods by which we arrive at those facts and truth statements are largely founded upon developments of Western Thinking.

The aim of Ethnomathematics is to allow for a dialogue of the various ways by which cultures quantify, and qualify knowledge, and as such it offers a major field of study not only towards intercultural relations, but into the application and practice of mathematics as a whole.

For any other jokers out there who would like to argue the primacy or our Western approach to mathematics I point to the following: Ramanujan, the the Mangetu use of Fractals (a practice predating our Western 'discovery'), the Mayan calendar system (not only a way of looking at time but deemed more accurate by many researchers), and how various practices are employed within their respective societies.

Finally I would like to point out that ethnomathematics is still a contested field of research, but not because a triangle has three sides, nor because mathematics is 'objective.'





That said...

While I do not own this book and have not read it in its entirety, I found what I had read of it to be insightful, and well researched.

I am writing 5 stars for this book as a purposeful activity to counter what I feel were attacks made out of ignorance and a knee jerk reaction to anything remotely PC.

I must agree with Eduardo's analysis. It is obvious that the two anonymous reviewers have not read the book, nor have any interest in trying to understand the viewpoints presented in the book. If they had, they would have presented some sort of reasoned argument. Disregard the anonymous reviewers. Read the book. Make your own decision. Or base your choice of buying (or reading) the book based on Eduardo's analysis. I am giving the book 5 stars as a counterpoint to the uninformed 1-star ratings given by the other two "reviewers".

Mathematics is inherently objective and therefore immune from cultural influence. Hence, "ethno"mathematics is a contradiction in terms.

Vincent Williamson, Davison, Michigan

This book is of comunist orientation and it does contradict all statistical figure and the contribution of the european and european-americans to the civilization . This is the civilization as we know it now in it's scientific and lifestyle and technical way

The books represents that a mathematical observation is to some extent dependent on the culture of the observer. This is, at best, a misrepresentation. An equilateral triangle does not change in properties, no matter what the culture of the observer. Two + Two will always equal four. One of the most useful aspects of mathematics is that it is not relative to the culture of the observer. What is mathematically true remains true. If two observers do not agree about a mathematical property, one is wrong or incomplete. It may be that it is the European view that is wrong, I am sure that not all mathematical truth is known yet. It may never be. What is true about mathematical observation is not variable with culture.