Author Date

2025-06-05

Degree Name

Department

Mathematics Education

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Defense Date

2025-05-20

Publication Date

2025-06-05

First Faculty Advisor

Kate Johnson

First Faculty Reader

Tenille Cannon

Honors Coordinator

Keith Leatham

Keywords

figured worlds, mathematics education, religion, identity, gender, mathematics

Abstract

This thesis investigates how religious women in mathematics construct and navigate their identities within the intersecting figured worlds of gender, religion, and mathematics. Drawing on Holland et al.’s (1998) theory of figured worlds and informed by identity theory, this study examines how these women experience, negotiate, and position their identities within these figured worlds. Through interviews with women who are simultaneously committed to religious life and mathematical scholarship, the research reveals that rather than perceiving conflict between these domains, participants often find points of integration and mutual reinforcement. Their narratives illuminate how identity is shaped through cultural contexts, institutional expectations, and personal agency. The study contributes to broader discussions on diversity in STEM, the role of faith in intellectual life, and the complex ways individuals navigate multiple, and sometimes conflicting, cultural worlds.