The complexity of links between identities, differences and mathematics teachers

Abstract

The research described in the pages of this publication was theoretical in nature. We sought to highlight ties between social identities (with emphasis on professional identities) and differences (with regard, in particular, to the identity(ies) of mathematics teachers), using, for this purpose, the philosophical complex perspective by Edgar Morin. Three principles of Morinian complexity theory served as the foundation for the arguments made in the text: the hologrammatic, the dialogical and the recursive. At the end of the study, it was inferred that, when it comes to professionals, in general, and mathematics teachers, in particular: (1) there are different/unusual elements in the identities, (identities) which, with their attributes, are in each of the different/unusual elements that are located in them (hologrammatic ‘complex principle’); (2) identities and differences antagonize and, at the same time, complement each other (dialogical ‘complex principle’); 3) differences generate identities, that react in differences, (re)generating them (recursive ‘complex principle’).