What is Ethnomathematics?

The definition of “ethnomathematics is the study of the relationship between mathematics and culture. The goal of ethnomathematics is to contribute both to the understanding of culture and the understanding of mathematics, and mainly to lead to an appreciation of the connections between the two.” (Wikipedia 2016)

Ethnomathematics was introduced during a presentation to the American Association for Advance Science in 1977 by a Brazillian educator and mathematician called Ubiratan D’Ambrosio. D’Ambrosio definition is that “the mathematics which is practiced among identifiable cultural groups such as national-tribe societies, labor groups, children of certain age brackets and professional classes.” In D’Ambrosio (1985) definition he uses the term cultural groups which can be interpreted as based on ethnicity but it also covers different social groups within society which can include carpenters, designers, etc, basically those who use mathematics in it uniquely developing forms. Ethnomathematics is practiced by members of a cultural group who share similar practices with mathematics that can be in a unique form and having their own language and specific ways of finding their practical mathematics and ethnomathematicians study their techniques. (Cimen 2014 pg 524)

Since the introduction of the term Ethnomathematics people including D’Ambrosio have struggled with the meaning of the word. Powell and Frankenstein (1997) highlight the existence of various definitions of ethnomathematics combined with different perspectives. For example:

• Ascher (1986) definition is that “the study of mathematical ideas of a non-culture.”

• Bishop (1988) definition states that “The codification which allows a cultural product which has developed as a result of various activities.”

• Gerdes’s (1988) definition of ethnomathematics is quite compact, it has no definite emphasis on culture: "The mathematics implicit in each practice".

D’Ambrosio (1987) changed his definition and included the term of codification as a change and he expands ‘mathematics’ and instead uses ‘reality’. The emphasis was on the systematization of ethnomathematical the ideas of cultural groups and revealing reality through their own system of codification: "The codification allows a cultural group to define, accomplish and understand reality". (Cimen 2014 pg 524)