Abstract / Synopsis
A wealthy society does not necessarily ensure a good education for its students, just as it does not guarantee wealth for its workers. In this paper we visit a junior high school mathematics classroom on the Greek island of Mykonos, where a significant number of students are employed. In this context, we explore how a mathematics teacher, inspired by social justice mathematics, can empower students in their work environments. We adopt an autoethnographic approach in our narrative, presenting the process of designing and implementing specific mathematical activities aimed at revealing the issue of labour exploitation in the touristic Greek islands. We describe how these activities dispelled the myth of easy money and contributed to the students’ labour emancipation. In short, our study presents, from a teacher’s point of view, how an in-service mathematics teacher can implement critical mathematics education theory to inform and empower students as future and present workers.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.FBEN8921
Recommended Citation
Dimitris T. Maris & Konstantinos P. Christou, "Teaching Mathematics for Labour Emancipation: An Autoethnography of a Math Teacher in Mykonos," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 15 Issue 1 (January 2025), pages 60-86. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.FBEN8921. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol15/iss1/5
