From Ethnomathematical Reasoning to Mathematical Research

With this chapter, I want to contribute to (a) the conceptualization of the field of mathematical activity recognized as ethnomathematics, and (b) more precisely to the process that takes us from the stimuli of the sociocultural environment, which underlies the localized origin of mathematical reasoning, to its universal conventional form. I showcase this path with some examples, where starting from the manipulation of artifacts from the African cultural heritage, formal mathematical thinking is achieved. In short, the chapter illustrates how results from the study of ethnomathematics can be brought to the school curriculum. This is the argument highlighted in my doctoral thesis (Cherinda, 2002), in which I present evidence on how to uncover the “hidden mathematics” (Gerdes, 1985a, b) and unpack it for classroom usage. This was motivated by the Mozambique post-independence movement in mathematics education, with the aim of building a new mathematics education for our schools, in which children could learn without fear and without feeling discriminated against, to be confident and proud of what their ancestors have contributed to universal mathematics.