Common threads =

the long version

"Traces how, when national education systems were initially set up, school mathematics and needlework came to mark systematic differences between boys' and girls' education, and reveals the lasting influence in differentiated expectations for boys and girls all over the world. The book explores the mathematical content of a variety of textile activities worldwide and shows how these can be used in the teaching of mathematics where expectations are low or where curricula are gendered or culturaly irrelevant. It suggests how women could gain greater economic independence if the mathematics skills they acquire while learning textile crafts were formally accredited."--Page 4 of cover.