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Social stigma and mathematical ignorance.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Although excelling in mathematics can be socially stigmatizing, is it a social stigma to be deficient in mathematics? Over 1000 undergraduate students were questioned as to the embarrassment level they would feel for various deficiencies (including mathematical and nonmathematical situations). Results reveal that most students (including mathematics majors) do not find it embarrassing to make a mathematical mistake, but do find it embarrassing to make nonmathematical mistakes. Implications include the difficulty of teaching K-12 mathematics if the discipline is not valued.

Introduction

Research has shown that excelling in mathematics can cause students to feel socially stigmatized (Manor-Bullock, Look, & Dixon, 1995). However, might the opposite also be true? That is: Do students also feel socially stigmatized for being deficient in mathematics? It has been suggested that students do feel stigmatized if they are illiterate (Beder, 1991), but what happens if they are innumerate? Stigma is a strong word. Sociologists use the word to mean some characteristic of a person that causes the person to hold an inferior social position or social standing. For example, people who are honest have a higher social standing than people who are dishonest. Dishonesty can cause a social stigma. If the stigma is not extensive, one might call it a failing, a shortcoming, or a handicap (Goffman, 1963). The stigmatized person tends to accept the stigma.

As mentioned, research has shown a social stigma for excelling in mathematics. Is there a social stigma for being deficient in mathematics? Mathematics education is undergoing reform, mostly because of the view that traditional mathematics education has not been successful, but also due to the changing nature of technology, and the increasing volume of mathematics education research (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000). However, no matter what reforms are introduced, mathematics education will not improve if society does not truly care that mathematics knowledge improves. Research has shown that attitudes and beliefs are formed by social forces and predict academic performance (Kloosterman, Raymond, & Emenaker, 1996; Lester, 2002; Singh, Granville, & Dika, 2002). If there is no societal pressure against mathematical ignorance, there will not be sufficient motivation for some K-12 grade students to learn mathematics (Day, Borkowski, Dietmeyer, Howsepian, & Saenz, 1992).

Related Research

Researchers have examined student and teacher attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about the school subject of mathematics. Although teachers' beliefs are very important for the teaching and learning of mathematics, they are not necessarily reflective of society's beliefs about mathematics (Cooney & Shealy, 1997). In particular, examining mathematics teachers' beliefs about mathematics will not tell us what society thinks about mathematical ignorance. McLeod (1992) writes about students' beliefs, attitudes, and emotions. He outlines the belief domain in terms of beliefs about mathematics, the sell; mathematics teaching,...

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