{"id":2037,"date":"2018-05-14T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-14T12:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/?p=2037"},"modified":"2018-05-14T09:47:25","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T13:47:25","slug":"mathematical-culture-beyond-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/2018\/05\/14\/mathematical-culture-beyond-the-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Mathematical Culture Beyond the Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Benjamin Braun, Editor-in-Chief, University of Kentucky<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Mathematics is the result of human curiosity and our desire to explain, predict, and explore observed and imagined phenomena. Our shared curiosity and sense of wonder is the wellspring of our mathematical culture. Yet a common sadness is felt by those who love mathematics, as we witness people\u2019s wonder and curiosity stilled by strong cultural and social forces. As Paul Lockhart writes in <\/span>A Mathematician\u2019s Lament<\/span><\/i>:<\/span><\/p>\n

If I had to design a mechanism for the express purpose of destroying a child\u2019s natural curiosity and love of pattern-making, I couldn\u2019t possibly do as good a job as is currently being done\u2026 Everyone knows that something is wrong.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many mathematicians, mathematics teachers, and mathematics fans and ambassadors share these feelings. It is natural that for many of us, our primary responses to this arise through our teaching, in an effort to help students rediscover their natural sense of mathematical joy and curiosity. However, my belief is that this situation is actually a symptom of an issue that extends beyond teaching and learning, and beyond the confines of mathematics. I believe that at its core, this issue involves our cultural responses to three questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How do we build relationships with those around us?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What accomplishments do we reward and recognize?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What stories do we tell, especially about mathematics and mathematicians?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As powerful as classroom cultures and environments can and should be, I believe we must have an even grander vision for ourselves and our community. We need to find ways to change some core qualities of the culture of mathematics itself, qualities related to the three questions above. A central challenge is that these changes are generally orthogonal to cultural norms of society at large. In this article, I share some reflections on these questions, along with ideas for how we can work together to meet the challenge of improving the culture of mathematics both within and beyond the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How Do We Build Relationships With Those Around Us?<\/b><\/p>\n

    The practice of doing mathematics is one infused with emotional complexity. In <\/span>Loving and Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life<\/span><\/i>, Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner write:<\/span><\/p>\n

    Mathematics is an artifact created by thinking creatures of flesh and blood\u2026 Mathematicians, like all people, think socially and emotionally in the categories of their time and place and culture. In any great endeavor, such as the structuring of mathematical knowledge, we bring all of our humanity to the work\u2026 It\u2019s a challenge for everyone to achieve balance in one\u2019s emotional life. It\u2019s a particularly severe challenge for those working in mathematics, where the pursuit of certainty, without a clearly identified path, can sometimes lead to despair. The mathematicians\u2019 absorption in their special, separate world of thought is central to their accomplishments and their joy in doing mathematics. Yet all creative work requires support.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Unfortunately, our mathematical culture does not encourage us to discuss and share the emotional ups and downs of our mathematical lives. While this is also true of our society at large, at least our broader culture acknowledges the role that therapy and counseling can play to improve our lives. In mathematics, our tacit prohibition on discussing the emotional aspects of mathematics has serious consequences for our community, ranging from mental health issues, especially <\/span>among graduate students<\/span><\/a>, to people unnecessarily working in isolation (e.g. Dusa McDuff\u2019s reflections <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>), to differences in the sense of <\/span>belonging<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>efficacy<\/span><\/a> that people feel in mathematics. As Hersh and John-Steiner point out, these consequences are particularly detrimental in mathematics, due to the nature of our work.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whether or not individuals choose to actively share their stories with colleagues, teachers, or peers is not the point here — what matters is whether or not individuals in our community feel that they are surrounded by people who are <\/span>supportive and willing to listen without judgement<\/span><\/i>. Creating a culture of authentic inquiry in our interpersonal relationships can provide the social and emotional support that we all require to pursue the creative work of mathematics. Because most mathematicians work in a community framed within professional organizations (colleges, universities, businesses, government entities, etc.), a natural source for inspiration and guidance in this professional context is the literature on organizational culture and leadership. One accessible and relevant resource in this area is Edgar Schein\u2019s book <\/span>Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling.<\/span><\/i> Schein describes Humble Inquiry as the type of inquiry that<\/span><\/p>\n

    maximizes my curiosity and interest in the other person and minimizes bias and preconceptions about the other person. I want to <\/span>access my ignorance<\/b> and ask for information in the least biased and threatening way. I do not want to lead the other person or put him or her into a position of having to give a socially acceptable response. I want to inquire in the way that will best discover what is really on the other person\u2019s mind. I want others to feel that I accept them, am interested in them, and am genuinely curious about what is on their minds regarding the particular situation we find ourselves in.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Schein is careful to distinguish this form of inquiry from others, such as diagnostic inquiry, confrontational inquiry, and process-oriented inquiry. He emphasizes that \u201cthe world is becoming more technologically complex, interdependent, and culturally diverse, which makes the building of relationships more and more necessary to get things accomplished and, at the same time, more difficult.\u201d In other words, the challenge of building authentic interpersonal relationships is not only one for mathematical culture, but for society at large. Schein also emphasizes the importance of individuals in leadership positions learning to use and model authentic inquiry.<\/span><\/p>\n

    To give a concrete idea of how this approach might be used in practice, I share below some questions that we might not ordinarily consider when we are speaking with a student, colleague, employee, or peer. However, questions such as these can powerfully change our perspective toward those around us. I am not suggesting that we routinely ask these questions in regular conversation, but rather that we have these questions in our conscious mind, that we are open to the possibility that the people we interact with have complicated and difficult lives, especially when we are having challenging conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n