As “ticas de matema” de trabalhadores do campo em um município sergipano : um estudo sob a lente do programa etnomatemática

Abstract

In general, the repertoires of the socio-cultural history of individuals from certain social groups are ignored, made invisible, distorted or inferior. Among these repertoires are the “ticas of matema”, considered as the ways, ways, arts and techniques (ticas) to explain, to know, to understand, to deal (matema) in diverse sociocultural contexts (ethno) - Ethnomathematics. On the other hand, alternatives can be found that make it possible to reverse this situation. Conceptualized as a Research Program, Ethnomathematics presents itself as one of these alternatives, when it is contextualized in the investigation about the way cultural groups understand, articulate and use mathematical ideas, even though they do not have a formal concept of mathematics. From this perspective, this research work had the following question as a problem: How are the geometric ethnosaberes of rural workers in the municipality of Itaporanga D’Ajuda/SE/Brazil culturally constructed? In line with this problem, the general objective was defined - to analyze, under the lens of the Ethnomathematics Program, how the geometric etnosabers of rural workers in the municipality of Itaporanga D’Ajuda/SE/Brazil are culturally constructed. In order to answer the proposed problem and reach the defined objective, the theoretical foundation was based primarily on studies focusing on the Ethnomathematics Program. In addition to these studies, the research focused on geometric concepts associated with quantities and measures (perimeter, area and volume). As for methodological referrals, exploratory research (regarding research objectives) of a qualitative nature was chosen. Thus, it is constituted as a field research, regarding the choice of the object of study. As for the procedures, we opted for participant observation, semi-structured interviews, in addition to the use of narrative autobiographies. Regarding data analysis, Discourse Analysis was used. As for the universe of investigation, three field workers (a bricklayer, a earthmover and a cerqueira) were chosen, residents of the municipality of Sergipe ItaporangaD'Ajuda, specifically, of the Moita Formosa settlement, whose identities were preserved and were used pseudonyms. The conclusion of the analysis on the research material allowed the identification of a web of “mathematical tics”. Just as, in the cubing of the earth and in the construction of an artesian cistern, workers are able to accurately measure, respectively, a terrain with the aid of a stick, as well as the construction of the exact circular base of the cistern. Furthermore, these mathematical ethnosaberians converge on knowledge in the field of geometry, for example, when the mason makes use of the terms “is on the square” and “hit the plumb”. On the other hand, it was found that the mathematical ethnosabers of these workers did not they are the result of schooled knowledge, some are knowledge acquired in practice, others are passed down from generation to generation, and, through observation and interpretation of field work practices, workers adapt mathematical ethnosaberes to the reality in which are inserted.