New ‘Social Justice’ Math Class Teaches Kids That Math Is Evil, Dehumanizing

[Dave70968]

http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/16/new-social-justice-math-class-teaches-ki

New ‘Social Justice’ Math Class Teaches Kids That Math Is Evil, Dehumanizing
"Mathematics... have been used to trick indigenous peoples out of land and property."

Robby Soave|May. 16, 2017 5:25 pm

Lucélia RibeiroMillions of K-12 students across the country believe that mathematics is a sadistic discipline—(I should know, I was one of them)—but a new "social justice" training module aims to persuade teachers that maybe the kids are on to something.

The course was designed by Teach for America and is offered through EdX, according to Campus Reform. It presupposes that math could be made more interesting for students if it was infused with socially relevant themes. That's not a terrible assumption—maybe young people would like math better if it was being taught in a language they understood. (If Olivia eats 10 pieces of avocado toast every day, how long will it be until she can afford to move out of her parent's house? That sort of thing.)

But Teach for America thinks that language is "social justice," and has designed a course that makes some startling claims about math.


"In western mathematics, our ways of knowing include formalized reasoning or proof, decontextualization, and algorithmic thinking, leaving little room for those having non-western mathematical skills and thinking processes," the training course claims.

It continues:

"Mathematical ethics recognizes that, for centuries, mathematics has been used as a dehumanizing tool… mathematics formulae also differentiate between the classifications of a war or a genocide and have been used to trick indigenous peoples out of land and property."

Math is such a basic building block that one can cherry-pick hundreds of examples of it being misapplied for nefarious ends—but that's not really math's fault. Math lacks—to borrow a social justice term—agency.

I'm open to the idea that math—particularly advanced math—is over-valued as a K-12 subject. There's a good argument to be made that high schoolers should be taking less Algebra II and reading more Shakespeare. But if we're going to teach math, I'm not sure we should be teaching that it's mostly just this bad thing Western countries used to subjugate indigenous peoples, as if that's the main thing you need to know about math.

Remember, boys and girls, it was mathematicians and scientists who put men on the moon, not SJWs. If these clowns get their way, we won't be able to launch anything more complicated than a kite.

 

[Annie]

Where were these people when I was struggling with algebra?? Sheesh Wonder if I can get reparations for pain and suffering, mental anguish and just general humiliation??

 

[John6185]

When I was in school I would agree that it is evil and worse. However, math and the sciences are vital if we are to have a prosperous nation and indeed, an individual that is prosperous.
While we're on the subject of nutty things teachers say, I had a teacher .8th grade or so that said,"if you drop your pencil in college they'll expel you." In retrospect, she probably was trying to control the class but that statement made an impression on several of us boys-we all agreed we weren't dumb enough to go to college and drop our pencil.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Math isn't evil. At least until they start replacing numbers with letters. Then, it become an instrument of the Debbil!

So many buzzwords in that article, it's like the architect of the plan is doing the old "I'll just keep using big words in random phrases until everyone starts to think I know what I'm doing" thingy.

 

[YukonGlocker]

We've seen a great deal of attention, lately, on how empathy may be involved (maybe negatively) in the relationship between social justice and science (i.e., truth seeking). Some people have presented evidence that--although social justice and science are mutually beneficial, rely on one another, and both critically necessary--they are incompatible in unison (e.g., Jon Haidt); while others have presented evidence that social justice can be biased/blinded from the truth/science because of empathy/emotion which is harmful in the long run, but if we're aware of that (and deal with it) then progress--on both fronts--is possible (e.g., Alice Dreger). This is a very important topic.

 

[Frederick]

Sorry, sir. I can't take all these math classes for my bachelors degree in liberal arts. You see, that would constitute a micro aggression against Native Americans. haha

I swear, either the people of this country are getting more retarded by the day or social media has simply made the pre existing stupidity apparent.

 

[YukonGlocker]

Sorry, sir. I can't take all these math classes for my bachelors degree in liberal arts. You see, that would constitute a micro aggression against Native Americans. haha

I swear, either the people of this country are getting more retarded by the day or social media has simply made the pre existing stupidity apparent.

Did you read the article? It's about middle-school math.

 

[YukonGlocker]

I will say, as someone who teaches abstract math, that using contemporary social issues in those classes is highly effective. If you make the concepts relatable and applicable to a student's life, the increases in interest and learning are well-evidenced. So, these ideas are nothing new.

 

[Pokinfun]

Teach for America teachers are a joke anyway.

 

[Frederick]

Did you read the article? It's about middle-school math.

Nah, i didn't bother. Read the title, made appropriate assumptions and then commented on my irritation with the social justice warrior thing that seems to be gaining steam amongst the more degenerate parts of our culture.

I will say, as someone who teaches abstract math, that using contemporary social issues in those classes is highly effective. If you make the concepts relatable and applicable to a student's life, the increases in interest and learning are well-evidenced. So, these ideas are nothing new.

No, it's not. But it'd probably be more effective to use math in an applicable way. Such as learning how to build door frame or do business taxes.

Though i would agree that teaching kids how to trick native Americans out of land is pretty applicable, on second thought.