Ethnomathematical connections between the production of coastal cheese, geometric solids, measurements, and proportionality: A study with a Colombian merchant

The goal of this research was to explore the ethnomathematical connections between the elaboration of coastal cheese, geometric solids, units of measurement and proportionality. The theoretical basis is the ethnomathematical connections and types: internal, external and ethnomathematical meaning. The universal activities were considered: measuring, locating, counting, playing, designing and explaining; as well as the mathematical thoughts and quality referents issued by the Colombian Ministry of National Education. Basically, ethnomathematical connections are part of the extended theory of connections. The methodology was qualitative and developed in three stages: selection of the participant who was a cheese maker; data collection through a semi-structured interview for fifteen days to learn about cheese making, materials, techniques, procedures and observe their relationship with mathematics; data analysis aimed at exploring ethnomathematical connections. The results showed internal and meaningful ethnomathematical connections related to the use of conventional and non-conventional units of measurement (cap), geometric solids and round bodies (tank, “calambuco”, and “zorrito”), proportionality (quantity of salt and number of calambucos) that were determined from the representation with units of capacity, cylinders, prisms, rules of three, among others. This research provides a substantial contribution to mathematics education, thus allowing the formation of mathematical concepts from the elaboration of coastal cheese and the rescue of language, universal cultural activities, artifacts and gastronomy.