Gee Blog Post: Karrie Haak

According to Gee everyone possess’ “Discourses”, these are how people portray themselves in the many different situations people are in everyday. “Discourses” are the blending of many individual characteristics, which creates the roles we’re in at the time. Therefore, “Discourses” are always shifting and developing, they are “a sort of “identity kit” which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize.”(526) Yet “discourse” is how people use their own language to integrate themselves into their different “Discourse”.

There are many “Discourses” that I have obtained in my life and each of these is dependent on the certain situations I am in at the time. Some of my “Discourses” include daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, student, photographer, employee, waitress, teacher in training, traveler, and adventurer, among many others. Having these many “Discourses” has allowed me to also witness many other “Discourses”. Sometimes this can be easy to transition between these “Discourses” and other times it can be more difficult. I believe that some of the most significant “Discourse” differences I have witnessed are when I have had to be in a professional “Discourse” position. In particular when I am a photographer I am surrounded by many different “Discourses” some of these include bride, groom, mother, father, child, musician, and executive. Being apart of these different “Discourses” allows me to adjust, learn and experience life in the most significant ways possible.

Before reading Gee’s article I had never associated “Discourses” and literacy or how the two influence one another. However, Gee and his definition of literacy has allowed me to see the connection between the two. I’m not sure if I agree that literacy has to be the “mastery of or fluent control over a secondary Discourse”, because I do not believe that anyone can become of a master in every “secondary Discourse” situation. (529) Although, I do believe that to be literate one not only needs to know how to read and write, but one also needs to know how to converse, behave and sometimes perform. All of which are dependent on the different circumstances someone is put into at any given time. So, Gee may have not completely changed my overall definition of literacy he has though expanded my thoughts as to what it means to be literate.