How AI Tools Influence the Skills of Young Developers.

Previous studies have emphasized that many parents from marginalized communities experience a sense of disconnection from formal education, particularly in relation to school mathematics, which often appears abstract and unrelated to everyday experiences. The "Funds of Knowledge" (FoK) framework has aimed to address this issue by highlighting the valuable knowledge embedded in families’ and children’s daily practices (such as the use of mathematics in navigating economic hardship) and proposing ways to connect it to the school curriculum. Yet, earlier work has critiqued traditional applications of FoK for primarily revealing forms of cultural and educational capital that, while potentially beneficial for navigating school systems, do little to disrupt the broader structures of inequality. In response, our research broadens the FoK framework to include the notion of "cultural commodity"a form of knowledge that encapsulates the tension between practical (use) value and symbolic (exchange) value. This conceptual lens allows for a more nuanced, dialectical understanding of knowledge that may contribute to social transformation. This paper presents empirical data supporting the use of cultural commodity as a research tool to bridge the gap between everyday mathematics and its potential role within formal education. The findings also underscore the importance of the parent-researcher position in enabling transformative interactions. We argue that such mediation may be essential in contesting the abstract nature and exchange value emphasis of school mathematics, and in envisioning its alternative, more meaningful applications.