A Culture of Mathematical Thinking: Batue Culture Analysis

A Culture of Mathematical Thinking
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A Culture of Mathematical Thinking
Introduction
The culture of a particular group of people can be defined by language, art, music, cuisine, religion, and social habits. According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), individuals from the same culture share behaviors, beliefs, norms, values, cognitive constructs, and pass knowledge and skills among themselves through socialization. Notably, ethnomathematics refers to the intersection of mathematics, sociocultural roots, culture, and historical traditions (Module 1, 2022). The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Batue culture to understand how mathematical thinking affects relationships.
Part 1: Batue Culture
Step 1: Batue Culture Analysis
“The Batue Culture Report” by John Urban and Sheila Tripp discusses the cultural aspects of mathematics among members of the Batue culture. Specifically, Batue people live on an isolated island. They are categorized into three groups, namely Albashony, Bechnecy, and Casitony. These communities live in harmony. The Bechnecy and Albashony live on the opposite sides of the river that traverses the island starting from the waterfall at the volcanic ridge (Urban & Tripp, 2016). The Casitony live along the cliff. However, each community has mastered critical survival skills and exchanges what they produce with others when the need arises. 
Step 2: Observations and Questions
The most significant thing that makes the Albashony, Bechnecy, and Casitony live together without conflicts is because they have learned how to survive in areas where they reside. For example, the Bechnecy and Albashony know how to use flat-bottom skiffs to catch fish, which is the primary source of food. Additionally, they know how to cultivate in fertile lands and forested areas yield wood for building and fruits. Besides, wood is a product used for trade. The Casitony thrives by eating blue-black birds, meat, and eggs. Members of this culture have learned how to mine products, such as copper, obsidian, cobalt-sulfides, bauxite, nickel, and diamonds. The two primary questions to ask about the Batue culture are the following:
1. How does mathematics help members of the different communities to trade what they produce?
2. Does the Albashony and Bechnecy know that the Casitony occupies land with highly valuable minerals?
Step 3: Analyzing and Evaluating the Information in The Batue Culture Report
The Role of Validity
Validity entails how accurate is the information provided, which is determined by the measurement method used. Urban and Tripp gathered the data about the Batue culture after proper observation. Besides, these anthropologists made it clear that the community lives on an isolated island and it was by luck they found it. Members of Batue culture are welcoming, which was why researchers managed to enter the island, interact with them, and collect the data they needed.
The...