When Progress Poses Problems: Taming the Monsters of Mathematics

• In Event: Threats to the Discipline: Problematizing Progress

Abstract

When the perceived benefits of progress outweigh the risks, we deem progress a worthy endeavor. What if actions in the name of progress subvert future progress when risks are underestimated? I argue that the replacement of the geometric paradigm with the arithmetic paradigm in the name of progress towards rigor is problematic. Drawing upon the work of Dewey and feminist scholars, I employ philosophical methods to examine how this paradigmatic shift created a chasm between embodied experiences of mathematics and the discipline, limiting opportunities for participation in the practices of mathematics and complicating its teaching and learning. I discuss implications for the design of curriculum and instruction intended to sustain broader student engagement in and identification with the mathematics community.

Author

• Amy B Holmes, Vanderbilt University