In My Opinion: What Is Ethnomathematics, and How Can It Help Children in Schools?

Abstract

The term ethnomathematics is used to express the relationship between culture and mathematics. The term requires a dynamic interpretation because it describes concepts that are themselves neither rigid nor singular—namely, ethno and mathematics (D'Ambrosio 1987). The term ethno describes “all of the ingredients that make up the cultural identity of a group: language, codes, values, jargon, beliefs, food and dress, habits, and physical traits.” Mathematics expresses a “broad view of mathematics which includes ciphering, arithmetic, classifying, ordering, inferring, and modeling” (pp. 2–3).