James Paul Gee, in “What is Literacy?”, expands on the definition of discourse by breaking it down into its two vital parts, primary and secondary. According to Gee, discourse provides us with identity kits, which vary based on cultural and socio-economic factors, and our abilities to participate and share meaning with others in the world. The distinction between primary and secondary discourses lies in the physical and abstract acts of being, belonging, absorbing, engaging, and producing, as these capacities emerge, expand and transform over time. As we continue our journey through the world, and participate in a variety of secondary discourses, some of which we choose, and some of which are chosen for us, we refine our abilities to engage
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I attended a culinary school a few years after high school, in search of a place I could feel that I belong. Moving to the Unites States at the age of thirteen, I struggled to find that place for years. I spent the majority of my childhood cooking with my family, or participating in activities, such as fishing, foraging and gardening, which eventually led to cooking. Cooking is my happy place and was at the center of my primary discourse. Upon my first tour of a culinary school, I was hooked. I enrolled several days later, quit my job, took out some loans, and immersed myself in everything culinary school had to offer. I stayed after class, talked to the instructors, checked out restaurants in the area based on their suggestions, assisted with lessons whenever possible, read all the important books, and eventually graduated, summa cum laude. Half way through the program, I was already working in a restaurant, aware of my acceptance into this vast social network. I changed jobs every six months, thirsty for more knowledge. While having two jobs a year may sound strange to some, in restaurants, where you work twelve to sixteen hours a day, high turnover rates are the standard. Cooks are the most eager learners and since working in a restaurant involves a lot of repetition, we eventually get bored, and move on. The nature of the professional cooking world …show more content…
It’s important to understand that even though they work together, the goals of the two differ from each other, despite the common characteristics they share. The main goal of primary discourse is the acquisition of basic knowledge, a sort of introduction to the rules and ways of language, behavior and societal expectations, based on cultural values. Primary discourse gives us background knowledge, which we apply as we navigate secondary discourses, developing and refining our meanings and associations. Secondary discourses focus on expansion and the distribution of common values through language and the ability to criticize other discourses. However, together, primary and secondary discourses comprise one master discourse, which as Gee (1991) states “...is not just the sum of its parts, it is something also over and above them” (p. 3). Our discourses define who we are, although this process is in a constant flux, as we choose and become subject to a variety of secondary discourses, which are also changing through time, space and
I attended a culinary school a few years after high school, in search of a place I could feel that I belong. Moving to the Unites States at the age of thirteen, I struggled to find that place for years. I spent the majority of my childhood cooking with my family, or participating in activities, such as fishing, foraging and gardening, which eventually led to cooking. Cooking is my happy place and was at the center of my primary discourse. Upon my first tour of a culinary school, I was hooked. I enrolled several days later, quit my job, took out some loans, and immersed myself in everything culinary school had to offer. I stayed after class, talked to the instructors, checked out restaurants in the area based on their suggestions, assisted with lessons whenever possible, read all the important books, and eventually graduated, summa cum laude. Half way through the program, I was already working in a restaurant, aware of my acceptance into this vast social network. I changed jobs every six months, thirsty for more knowledge. While having two jobs a year may sound strange to some, in restaurants, where you work twelve to sixteen hours a day, high turnover rates are the standard. Cooks are the most eager learners and since working in a restaurant involves a lot of repetition, we eventually get bored, and move on. The nature of the professional cooking world …show more content…
It’s important to understand that even though they work together, the goals of the two differ from each other, despite the common characteristics they share. The main goal of primary discourse is the acquisition of basic knowledge, a sort of introduction to the rules and ways of language, behavior and societal expectations, based on cultural values. Primary discourse gives us background knowledge, which we apply as we navigate secondary discourses, developing and refining our meanings and associations. Secondary discourses focus on expansion and the distribution of common values through language and the ability to criticize other discourses. However, together, primary and secondary discourses comprise one master discourse, which as Gee (1991) states “...is not just the sum of its parts, it is something also over and above them” (p. 3). Our discourses define who we are, although this process is in a constant flux, as we choose and become subject to a variety of secondary discourses, which are also changing through time, space and