Emerging perspectives on numeracy and their social, cultural, and political implications provide a context for new ways of thinking about adult numeracy instruction. Beyond daily living skills, numeracy is now being defined as knowledge that empowers citizens for life in their particular society. Thus, numeracy has economic, social, and political consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. Despite the myths surrounding math and numeracy, the realities are as follows: numeracy is culturally based and socially constructed; math reflects a particular way of thinking; numeracy reflects cultural values; numeracy is not just about numbers; math evolves and changes; numeracy is about procedural, practical knowledge; and numeracy involves different ways of solving problems. This perspective of numeracy and math suggests that numeracy instruction should be based on the belief that everyone can do math and everyone uses numeracy practices that may go unrecognized. Literacy and numeracy should be linked and contextualized. Familiar contexts may make math more accessible for those who have been alienated from it. Contextualized math can help learners recognize the math characteristics of everyday situations and can help learners with different ways of thinking. Teaching from the perspective of adult education as a tool for social justice, instructors can change the system in which math serves as a barrier and equip people with knowledge and tools to examine and criticize the economic, political, and social realities of their lives. (Contains 11 references.) (YLB)