Ethnomathematics: past and future

Abstract

Each culture develops ways, since the Paleolithic era, styles and techniques of doing, and responses to the search of explanations, of understanding and of learning. They basically respond to “how” and “why”. In the human species, early attempts to explain and to understand lead to the search for origins, which leads to myths. All these are organized as systems of knowledge and religions.  These systems of knowledge lead to the concept of Ethnomathematics. After a report on the practice of Ethnomathematics and the evolution of theoretical reflections since pre-historic times to the present, I will discuss some new trends I recognize in the theory and practice of Ethnomathematics. I will refer to different cultural environments and the consequents of the growing migratory dynamics in the entire world. The move towards globalization and internationalization of education favors the reinforcement of local considerations. Glocalization has consequences for the future of Ethnomathematics as research program with pedagogical implications.