Communication, Culture, and Work in Mathematics Education in Departments of Mathematical Sciences
Communication is much more than words written, spoken, or unspoken. It is also in how a person participates in or orchestrates discussion (in a hallway or in a meeting) Conversation is shaped by what a person knows or anticipates about colleagues' previous experiences and how to attend to that in the context of the goals of a given professional interaction. This chapter builds a foundation of ideas from discourse theory and intercultural competence development as aspects of communication. The presentation is grounded in two vignettes and several small examples of discourse about work in mathematics education. The ideas and vignettes provide touchstones for noticing and understanding what happens when people communicate across professional cultures within departments of mathematics.