An Introduction to Mathematics for Social Justice

Abstract

In this introduction to the PRIMUS Special Issue on Mathematics for Social Justice we provide a brief history of social justice in the context of undergraduate mathematics pedagogy and explain the purpose and motivation behind this movement in undergraduate education.

Keywords:

• Social justice
• equity
• equity-oriented pedagogy
• statistics
• calculus
• service learning
• quantitative reasoning
• graph theory
• MATLAB

What we teach, how we teach, and why we teach are shaped not only by institutional and accreditation requirements but also by personal philosophy. Pedagogy has three components: the curriculum, the methodology, and social education. A social justice or equity-oriented pedagogy transcends the boundaries of race, class, and gender in any classroom. In the field of mathematics, the conversation often focuses on a mathematically-rigorous curriculum (What classes should a major take? What topics are covered in Statistics?) or methodology (problem-based learning, group work, lecture, IBL, etc.). Very rarely do we discuss how to promote equity, or the role of a mathematician (or any mathematically literate person) in a democratic society. It is often argued that these issues are extra-curricular ones, and do not “belong” in a mathematics classroom. However, there is a growing number of mathematicians who believe otherwise, for both pedagogical and ethical reasons. This special issue of PRIMUS provides motivation, examples, and inspiration for undergraduate mathematics professors interested in incorporating social responsibility, ethics, equity, and justice into their curriculum and pedagogy.

HISTORY

Most of the early work on mathematics and social justice began in K–12 mathematics education. The website RadicalMath.org was launched in April 2006 by Jonathan Osler who was teaching in a public high school in Brooklyn, NY. In 2007, the Radical Math Teachers group held its first national conference on math and social justice at Long Island University. Bob Moses, best known for his Civil Rights work, and author of the book Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project was the keynote speaker. Moses maintains that math literacy is a civil right and emphasizes how mathematics has been used as a gatekeeper to educational and personal success. Over 400 educators, parents, activists and youth attended the first annual conference Inspired by Moses, this diverse group engaged in lively wide-ranging discussions. Two of the major questions addressed were: How could social justice issues be integrated into the math curriculum as a means of enriching, and not sacrificing, mathematical content? and How do race and class affect the teaching and learning of mathematics? In 2012, the conference moved from Brooklyn to Mission High School in San Francisco, where it has remained since. Bonnie Shulman, a co-editor of this special issue, was fortunate enough to attend the conference in 2007, and in the following decade, integrated the work into her classes.

The founders of the social justice mathematics movement, led by Eric (Rico) Gutstein, were primarily K–12 teachers. However, every year there were more college educators attending workshops and events in local schools. The work of Marilyn Frankenstein on Critical Mathematics Education influenced college mathematics educators such as Jacqueline Leonard, Wanda Brooks, Joy Barnes-Johnson, and Robert Q. Berry III, who in [7] say culturally relevant and social justice instruction can offer opportunities for students to learn mathematics in ways that are deeply meaningful and influential to the development of a positive mathematics identity. We also acknowledge, however, that to be effective, these approaches require teachers to carefully reflect on, attend to, and pedagogically plan for the nuances and complexities inherent in concepts such as culture and social justice.

It is important to note that the call for social justice as part of the mathematics curriculum is an international one. For instance, in 2017, the International Community Mathematics Education and Society (MES) held its 9th annual conference in Greece (Mathematics Education and Life at Times of Crisis). These conferences bring together people from all over the world to advance the agenda of mathematics, equity, and justice.

The movement is growing. Recently, Catherine Buell, a co-editor of this issue, was part of a team that organized a workshop for 25 participants called Intertwining Social Justice and Mathematics in 2016. The team also organized a Themed Contributed Paper Session at the 2017 Joint Mathematics Meetings. These experiences provided the basis for this special issue.

SNEAK PEEK

In this issue you will find lessons and projects appropriate for all levels of mathematics. For general education courses, there is Mark Branson’s “Fighting Alternative Facts: Teaching Quantitative Reasoning with Social Issues”; K. Simic-Muller’s “‘There are Different Ways You Can Be Good at Math’: Quantitative Literacy, Mathematical Modeling, and Reading the World”; and Paul Isihara, Edwin Townsend, Richard Ndekezi, and Kevin Tully’s “Math for the Benefit of Society: A New Matlab-Based Gen-Ed Course.” Alison S. Marzocchi, Kelly Turner and Bridget K. Druken’s “Using Graph Talks to Engage Undergraduates in Conversations Around Social Justice” incorporates social justice into courses for pre-service teachers.

Additionally, Gizem Karaali and Lily S. Khadjavi’s “Unnatural Disasters: Two Calculus Projects for Instructors Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice” and “Mass Incarceration and Eviction Applications in Calculus: A First-Timer Approach” by Kathy Hoke, Lauren Keough, and Joanna Wares work topics of social justice into a Calculus classroom. “Measuring Income Inequality in a General Education or Calculus Mathematics Classroom” by Barbara O'Donovan and Krisan Geary contains material adaptable to various levels.

Other papers provide guides for community engagement with social justice and service learning such as “The Brokenness of Broken Windows: An Introductory Statistics Project on Race, Policing, and Criminal Justice” by Jared Warner and “Doing Social Justice: Turning Talk into Action in a Mathematics Service Learning Course” by Alana Unfried and Judith Canner. Finally the collaborations, “Meaningful Mathematics: A Social-Justice-Themed-Introductory Statistics Course” by jenn berg, Catherine A. Buell, Danette Day, and Rhonda Evans and “Supermarkets, Highways, and Natural Gas Production: Statistics and Social Justice” by John Ross and Therese Shelton provide insights in the statistics classroom including activities and how to create a social justice- themed course.

Concluding the issue, Nathan N. Alexander, Zeynep Teymuroglu, and Carl R. Yerger address larger questions like how and why to create a course with social justice and how to have hard conversations in “Critical Conversations on Social Justice in Undergraduate Mathematics.”

We hope this special issue is a useful contribution to current conversations, and provides motivation, justification, and concrete examples for those committed to positioning mathematics teaching and learning in service to a just world. May this issue also inspire more mathematics faculty to incorporate social justice into their personal teaching philosophy and pedagogy.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Catherine A. Buell

Catherine A. Buell enjoys thinking deeply about mathematics across the spectrum including pure mathematics, applied mathematics, math education, ethics, and the role mathematics plays in a just society and across disciplines. She spends her days teaching and learning from her students at Fitchburg State University, her students at the local prison, and from random folks she meets. In her free time she can be found exploring the woods with friends and the dog, visiting her family, or binge watching some sci-fi show.

Bonnie Shulman

Bonnie Shulman is Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Bates College in Lewiston, ME. She now has even more time to devote to social justice issues and has recently given a seminar over Skype for the Cambridge University Ethics in Mathematics Society. When not trying to save the world, she enjoys reading science fiction, volunteering to tutor mathematics for at-risk youth, and taking long rambling walks.