Ethnomathematics of Negev Bedouins' Existence in Forms, Symbols and Geometric Patterns (PDF)

Ethnomathematics of Negev Bedouins' Existence in
Forms, Symbols, and Geometric Patterns provokes a journey into the world of
Negev Bedouins and attests to the beauty and sophistication of mathematics that
occurs naturally in their craftwork, structures, games, and throughout Bedouin
life. The major focus is Bedouin women's traditional craftwork by which they
reflect social and cultural activities in their weaving, embroidery, and
similar pursuits. Their creations reveal mathematical ideas incorporated in embroidery
compositions in repeated patterns of flowers and geometric figures in varying
scales. The women use ground staked looms, stabilized by block-stones, to make
multi-color, repeating pattern strip-rugs in a process practiced for
generations. An image of this appears in the book's cover photo collage.
Bedouin men construct dwellings, tents, desert wells, and such. They and their
children play games attuned to sand and other specific desert conditions. These
activities of Bedouin women, men, and children require mathematical thinking
and strategic reasoning to achieve desired outcomes.

The book opens with a narrative of Bedouin
history, followed by a brief overview of ethnomathematics, and concludes with
discussion about bridging the gap between school mathematics experiences and
those outside school. It considers mathematically problematic situations
embedded in Bedouin sociocultural heritage likely to appeal to teachers for use
with school students. The book is intended for a diverse audience from
Bedouin communities in different countries to the general public and
professionals, including ethnomathematicians and mathematics educators.