Ethnomathematics (Part II of II)

According to ethnomathematician Alan Bishop (1988), there are six major functions of mathematics use in human life, whether formal or informal, applied or abstract. Mathematical thought is used in counting, in play, in measurement and identifying location, in design, and in the clarification of phenomena.

Counting is perhaps the most basic of mathematical functions. Used for quantifying items such as money, livestock, and yes, fingers, it is taken for granted by most of us in every day life. We are not born with the idea of numbers firmly in place, but learn to quantify items as toddlers while we are learning to fit objects into categories. Infants might be able to tell the difference between “more” or “less,” but their ability to count objects does not emerge until two and a half to three years of age.

Once the concept of counting is grasped, it can lead to a number of recreational pursuits in mathematics. One such recreation is that of gambling, or basically calculating the odds on the statistical likelihood of something happening, such as a horse winning a race, a particular card being shown by the dealer, or a sports team winning a championship. Other games also revolve around math and numbers – Hopscotch, Bingo, Mancala, Tangrams, and a number of other games from around the world. Click here for a list of math games from around the world.

Mathematics is also an integral part of how we measure the length, quantity, and volume of everyday objects. Traditionally, linear measurement among housewives or boat builders in the Maldives was done using parts of the body for comparative purposes. The smallest unit of measurement was from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger on an outstretched hand. Progressively larger measurements were done from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, shoulder, or across both arms to the tip of the second middle finger. Liquid measurements were done with halved coconuts of varying sizes.

In parts of Africa, fractal geometry is often found within the organization of buildings and architectural elements. Features such as circles, rectangles, and other shapes repeat themselves across large scale and small-scale parts of the building. A circular house might repeatedly integrate circular designs into the walls, the floors, and internal designs of the house, as well as be situated with other houses to form a circular shape. Fractal geometry may also be seen in textile patterns and in corn-row braiding hairstyles.