Linking mathematics education and democracy: Citizenship, mathematical archaeology, mathemacy and deliberative interaction

The relationship between mathematics education and democracy is discussed in terms of citizenship, mathematical archaeology, mathemacy and deliberative interaction. The first issue concentrates on the learner as a member of society, the second on the social functions of mathematics and on how to get to grips with mathematics in use, the third refers to an integrated kind of competence including different forms of reflection (mathematics-oriented, model-oriented, context-oriented and lifeworld-oriented reflections), the fourth issue considers the classroom as a micro-society and deals with the nature of the teaching-learning process. These four issues are discussed with reference to an example of educational practice. “Our Community”, carried out among sixteen-year-old students as an interdisciplinary project including a one-week trainee service. Finally, it is indicated that a discussion of mathematics education and democracy is essential to a further development of social theory, as the notions of citizenship, mathematical archaeology, mathemacy and deliberative interaction become part of the discussion about modemity, reflexive modemity and other constructs from recent social theory.