Education for Whom? Word Problems as Carriers of Cultural Values

Abstract

Is the mathematics presented in textbooks, trade books and standardize d tests neutral? Drawing from critical theory and feminist epistemolog ies, the purpose of this research is to examine mathematics curricular materials through the lens of two questions: “What is valued?” and “K nowledge for whom?” Findings indicate that mathematics texts contain m ultiple examples of problems that reify hegemony, the exploitation of people, and a marked disregard for the environment. This article inclu des ways mathematics educators can reconceptualize mathematics texts a s inextricably linked to cultural reproduction and furthermore, to use these insights to build ways that mathematics educators can disrupt t he current narratives of inequity, waste, exploitation and the privile ging of particularly narrow perspectives in mathematics education and replace them with more equitable, inclusive, sustainable and critical perspectives. Education for Whom? Word Problems as Carriers of Cultura l Values School is widely regarded as one of the primary means of cult ural reproduction, and within this context, our mathematics texts play a large, albeit frequently invisible and unchallenged role in this re production. In this article, I cast light onto issues taken for grante d, and intend to help move the conversation from the dominant discours e to the outer edges of comfort, and perhaps even beyond. To this end, I engaged several groups of my graduate students, both pre-service an d in-service teachers, in examining how mathematics texts might be par t of this cultural reproduction. Anita Bright Taboo, Spring 201 Anita Bright is at Portland State University. Email abright@pdx.edu