A study by Colgan (2006) highlights what she found in her study. Students viewed mathematicians as,
“…fat…aren’t seeing anyone, and have wrinkles on their forehead from thinking so hard…bald, overweight, unmarried men who wear beards and glasses and lead little or no social life” (p. 8).
This student is from a recent publication in the 2006 edition of the Ontario Mathematics Gazette. What does this say about how many of today's children view individuals in mathematics professions?
Reference:
Colgan, L. (Sept. 2006). Hey, It’s Elementary! Seeing Ourselves as Children See Us. Ontario Mathematics Gazette, 45 (1), 7-9.
2 comments:
This student's commment is a stereotypical image commonly portrayed in movies and pop culture. It makes sense that children feel this way about mathematicians since this is what they have been socialized to believe. Educators and the media need to take a stronger stance at deconstructing stereotypes.
Maya,
I think socialization, as you have brought up, is an important component in formulating perceptions of mathematicians. It is unfortunate that no female mathematician, that I know of, was drawn.
-Melissa
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