Invitation to join the International Sociopolitics in Mathematics Education Research Community

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO - VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS ABAIXO
 
Dear all,

We are three researchers in the field of Mathematics Education, Melissa Andrade-Molina, Luz Valoyes-Chávez and Alex Montecino Muñoz. We work at three different universities in Chile and realised we don’t have colleagues in our institutions working in similar perspectives. Most of the time, we receive sceptical comments from peers on our  “pessimistic view on mathematics education”. We have gathered to collaborate on projects and work on papers together as a little community, but we happened to know other researchers currently living their academic lives in similar conditions. Therefore, we decided to invite you to start an international research community.

We aim to virtually engage once a month in academic discussions, share our work, reflect on the possibilities of disordering our field and build academic networks for researchers working in similar aspects of mathematics education.

If you are interested, we invite you to send us an email to O endereço de e-mail address está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa ativar o JavaScript enabled para vê-lo. and attend our first meeting on April 20th (16.00 - 18.00 BST time). Here, Paul Ernest will challenge The ethics of mathematics education and society. Please, feel free to share this invitation with your colleagues or communities.

Abstract:

How does ethics impinge on mathematics? Is it even relevant? While there is an enduring controversy as to whether mathematics is imbued with ethical values, it is widely agreed that mathematics has a huge impact on modern life.  What principles of ethics can we draw on to evaluate this impact? The applications of mathematics in education and society are widely seen as beneficial and I acknowledge that mathematics is a widespread force for good. But I  challenge the idea that mathematics is nothing but good. I claim mathematics is overvalued in society, leading to negative consequences, and I describe three ways in which it causes harm through education. First, the personal impact of learning mathematics on learners’ thinking and life chances can be negative for a significant minority of ‘maths rejects’. Second, by serving as a ‘critical filter’ mathematical certification is an impediment to equal opportunities for all. Third, the nature of pure mathematics itself leads to styles of thinking that can be damaging when applied beyond mathematics to social and human issues.

In addition, there are the problems that arise from misapplications of mathematics. I note three uses. First, governments and corporations using mathematics to make public communications appear more authoritative and definitive than they are. Second, there are many ethically questionable uses of mathematics such as the apps used by the electronic media to promote ‘fake news’, and ‘the formula that killed Wall Street’ that helped trigger the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Third, is the performativity of mathematics. Governments and corporations employ algorithms that actively but covertly transform aspects of social life such as stock trading, or predicting individual behaviours including credit repayments or criminality and recidivism. Mathematics underpins the spreading of surveillance capitalism and surveillance governance.

I end with a recommendation for the inclusion of the philosophy and ethics of mathematics within its teaching all stages from school to university to mitigate this harm. This is reduce to the collateral damage caused by mathematics in education and society, through making people more aware of these dangers, and their own responsibility.


ESPAÑOL
 
Estimados y estimadas,
 
Somos tres investigadores en el campo de la Educación Matemática, Melissa Andrade-Molina, Luz Valoyes-Chávez y Alex Montecino Muñoz. Trabajamos en tres universidades diferentes en Chile y nos dimos cuenta de que no tenemos colegas en nuestras instituciones que trabajen con perspectivas similares. La mayoría de las veces, recibimos comentarios escépticos de nuestros compañeros sobre nuestra “visión pesimista de la educación matemática”. Nos hemos reunido para colaborar en proyectos y trabajar en artículos juntos como una pequeña comunidad. Sabemos de otros investigadores que actualmente viven su vida académica en condiciones similares. Entonces, hemos tomado la iniciativa de invitarlos a constituir una comunidad de investigación internacional.

Tenemos el objetivo de juntarnos virtualmente una vez al mes para entablar discusiones académicas, compartir nuestro trabajo, reflexionar sobre las posibilidades de desordenar nuestro campo y construir redes académicas para investigadores que trabajan en aspectos similares en educación matemática.
 
Si están interesados, los invitamos a enviarnos un email a O endereço de e-mail address está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa ativar o JavaScript enabled para vê-lo. y a asistir a nuestra primera reunión el 20 de abril (16.00 - 18.00 hora BST). En esta reunión Paul Ernest desafiará la ética de la educación matemática y la sociedad (ver resúmen en la versión en inglés). Los invitamos a compartir esta invitación con sus colegas o comunidades.
 
PORTUGUÊS
 
Saudações,
 
Somos três pesquisadores na área de Educação Matemática, Melissa Andrade-Molina, Luz Valoyes-Chávez e Alex Montecino Muñoz. Trabalhamos em três universidades diferentes no Chile e percebemos que não temos colegas em nossas instituições trabalhando em perspectivas semelhantes. Na maioria das vezes, recebemos comentários céticos de colegas sobre nossa “visão pessimista da educação matemática”. Nós nos reunimos para colaborar em projetos de pesquisa e trabalhar em artigos juntos como uma pequena comunidade. Mas conhecemos outros pesquisadores que atualmente vivem suas vidas acadêmicas em condições semelhantes. Portanto, decidimos convidá-lo a formar uma comunidade internacional de pesquisa.
Pretendemos nos encontrar virtualmente uma vez por mês para nós nos envolvernos em discussões acadêmicas, compartilhar nossos trabalhos, refletir sobre as possibilidades de desordenar nosso campo e construir redes acadêmicas para pesquisadores que trabalham em aspectos semelhantes da educação matemática.
Se você estiver interessado, o convidamos a nos enviar um e-mail O endereço de e-mail address está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa ativar o JavaScript enabled para vê-lo. e participar de nossa primeira reunião no dia 20 de abril (16h00 - 18h00 hora BST). Aqui, Paul Ernest desafiará a ética da educação matemática e da sociedade (veja o resumo na versão em inglês). Convidamos você a compartilhar este convite com seus colegas ou comunidades.

Saludos desde Chile,
Melissa, Luz y Alex