Cabo Verde Ardinas

The research reported in this chapter takes part of the results of the project Cultura, Matemática e Cognição — Pensar a Aprendizagem em Portugal e Cabo Verde, especially in what concerns understanding the idea of “learning as an integral part of generative social practice in the lived-in world” (Lave & Wenger, 1991, p.35) together with the perspective that addresses “learning as increasing participation in communities of practice” (p.49). The analysis of these ideas led us to try to understand the meaning of participation in a social practice (and therefore in a community of practice). Our goal was to look into the ways (mathematics) learning relates to forms of participation in social practice in an environment where mathematics is present but that escapes the characteristics of the school environment. Because we believe that culture is an unavoidable fact that shapes our way of seeing and analysing things, we decided to look at a culturally distinct practice and that constituted a really strange domain for us: the practice of the ardinas at Cabo Verde islands in Africa.