Governing Equality

Abstract

With the notion of governmentality, this article considers how the equal sign (=) in the U.S. math curriculum organizes knowledge of equality and inscribes cultural rules for thinking, acting, and seeing in the world. Situating the discussion within contemporary math reforms aimed at teaching mathematics for all, I draw attention to how the cultural embodiment of the equal sign in the curriculum works to order notions of sameness and difference as standards by which to compare children. This analysis of the equal sign is to consider how mathematics, society, and culture assemble in ways that order the "reason" of equality and the inclusion/exclusion of children into the all.