Mathematics Capital in the Educational Field: Bourdieu and Beyond

Autor/inn/en	Williams, Julian; Choudry, Sophina
Titel	Mathematics Capital in the Educational Field: Bourdieu and Beyond
Quelle	In: Research in Mathematics Education, 18 (2016) 1, S.3-21 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1479-4802
DOI	10.1080/14794802.2016.1141113
Schlagwörter	Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Social Structure; Power Structure; Cultural Influences; Cultural Capital; Mathematics Achievement; Models; Mathematics Skills; Mathematical Aptitude; Critical Theory; Teaching Methods; Social Values; Political Attitudes; Marxian Analysis + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mathematik; Mathematische Bildung; Sozialstruktur; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Analogiemodell; Mathematics ability; Kritische Theorie; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Sozialer Wert; Political attitude; Politische Einstellung; Marxism; Marxismus
Abstract	Mathematics education needs a better appreciation of the dominant power structures in the educational field: Bourdieu's theory of capital provides a good starting point. We argue from Bourdieu's perspective that school mathematics provides capital that is finely tuned to generationally reproduce the social structures that serve to keep the powerful in power, while ensuring that less powerful groups are led to accept their own failure in mathematics. Bourdieu's perspective thereby highlights theoretical inadequacies in much mathematics education research, insofar as it presumes a consensus about a "what works agenda" for improving achievement for all. Drawing on one case where we manufactured awkward facts, we illustrate a Bourdieusian interpretation of mathematics capital as reproductive, and the crucial role of its cultural arbitrary. We then criticise the Bourdieusian concept of "mathematical capital" as the value of mathematical competence in practice and propose to extend his tools to include the contradictory "use" and "exchange" values of mathematics instead: we will show how this conceptualisation goes "beyond Bourdieu" and helps explain how teaching-learning might (ideally) produce "cultural use value" in mathematical competence, while still recognising the contradictions teachers and learners face. Finally, we suggest how critical education research generally can benefit from this theoretical framework: (1) in exposing the interest of the dominant classes; but also (2) in researching critical pedagogic alternatives that challenge orthodoxy in educational policy and practice both in mathematics education and more generally. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01