Asphalt Children and City Streets: A Life, a City, and a Case Study of History, Culture, and Ethnomathematics in Sao Paulo - Softcover

Mesquita, M. Nica; Restivo, Sal; D'Ambrosio, Ubiratan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9460916317 ISBN 13: 9789460916311

Publisher: Sense Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

THIS WORK EXPLORES THE URBAN EXPERIENCES OF STREET CHILDREN IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL THROUGH THE MATHEMATICAL EPISTEMIC REGIMES AT THE CORE OF THEIR SURVIVAL STRATEGIES. WE ALSO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE SITUATION OF STREET CHILDREN ACROSS TIME, SPACE, CULTURE, AND HISTORY. OUR GOAL IS TO RECOGNIZE, UNDERSTAND, AND VALIDATE FORMS OF MATHEMATICS CONSTRUCTED AND USED OUTSIDE OF THE ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS OF MATHEMATICAL PRODUCTION. WE BASE OUR ANALYSIS ON "THE MATHEMATICAL IMAGINATION," WHICH DRAWS TOGETHER SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS. THEORETICALLY, WE DRAW HEAVILY ON THE DURKHEIMIAN TRADITION IN SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY. WE FOCUS ON A FORM OF PRACTICE THAT LINKS THE FORMAL AND THE INFORMAL IN ORDER TO REALIZE THE FULL POWER OF MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE AS A SOCIAL THING (IN DURKHEIM'S SENSE), A PRODUCT OF THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS THAT EXPRESSES COLLECTIVE REALITIES AND A CATEGORY OF KNOWLEDGE PRESENT IN EVERY CULTURE. THIS IS AS TRUE FOR MATHEMATICS AT THE MARGINS AS IT IS FOR PROFESSIONAL MATHEMATICS. OUR WORK CONTRIBUTES TO AN EMERGING POLITICAL MANIFESTO OF THE MARGINAL THAT DEMONSTRATES THE SOCIAL REALITIES AND SOCIAL POWER OF THEIR MATHEMATICS. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, STUDENTS OF MATHEMATICS AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS, AND EVERYONE INTERESTED IN THE SITUATION OF MARGINALIZED CHILDREN.

About this title

About the Author:

SAL RESTIVO is Professor of Sociology, Science Studies, and Information Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Special Lecture Professor at Northeastern University in Shenyang, China; the former Hixon/Riggs Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Harvey Mudd College; and a former Special Professor at Nottingham University in England. He is a founding member and former president of the Society for Social Studies of Science.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sense Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 9460916317
• ISBN 13: 9789460916311
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 172