As conducting conversations is apart of our everyday lives we may notice that we don’t act the same way around everyone, depending where we are for example how we act at home versus at school. This a concept explored by James Paul Gee, called Discourses. To my interpretation from Gee’s explanation, apart of Discourses is a certain persona you play given particular scenarios – the setting, who you’re around, your relationship with those people, and many other factors. There also different types of discourses – primary and secondary. Primary Discourse is the first one we made ever. It seems to be who we are authentically in our most vulnerable settings like the home, and around family, technically the original version of ourselves. After primary, there is secondary Discourse. Secondary Discourse is who we are when we’re not in our “original” forms, in a way who we are when we walk out the door of our homes, and present ourselves to the public. In different public social settings like school, around friends, at your job, etc.
With primary or secondary Discourses, can be dominant and non-dominant. Dominant Discourses have perks by being apart of these Discourses as it can provide status, benefits, among other things theses factors can be found in secondary Discourse in places like college. While non-dominant don’t really provide any benefits, you are just a person of a social group. Non-dominant discourses could be like when you’re with friends.
However not all Discourse can apply to everyone, yet you may know of Discourse however, that may not mean you are actually apart of that Discourse. Yet, you may make it seem like you are fluent in such Discourse. This called mushfaking. Mushfaking is when you’re not fully “fluent” in a Discourse, yet you try to make it seem like you are.
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