The Intellectual Contributions of Ubiratan D’Ambrosio to Ethnomathematics

Abstract

Ubiratan “Ubi” D’Ambrosio is considered by many to be “the intellectual father of ethnomathematics”. He defined and popularized the term as “the art or technique of explaining, knowing, and understanding diverse cultural contexts” (D’Ambrosio, 1990). He formed the International Study Group on Ethnomathematics (ISGEm) and has been instrumental in helping to make sure that the socio-cultural context of mathematics and its teaching and learning are considered in conferences, publications and the day to day work of thousands of mathematics education around the world.