A Web of Discourses

According to Gee, "Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes." This means that each and every one of us are a part of different Discourses and many of these Discourses interact with one another.

You may think language is just speaking with the correct grammar, but in reality language is how you speak and the actions you do while speaking. When you're in your different Discourses, you act a specific way. For example, you wouldn't speak with slang words to your professor and you wouldn't speak in a formal tone to your best friend.

My primary Discourse would be my role as a daughter/sister. I was a part of this Discourse without any instruction and it has shaped me into who I am today. Without this Discourse, I wouldn't be the same in my other Discourses.

Many of my Discourses connect and the morals I have learned from one have helped with my others. I learned to be respectful and how to work hard from my parents and these characteristics helped with my schooling and with playing volleyball. Also, I learned self-discipline from volleyball and this has helped with my schooling as well. My Discourse of being a friend also interacts with my athlete Discourse because many of my friends were on the volleyball team with me. Although, some things that you do in one Discourse would not be appropriate in another. For example, if I talked to my coach like I did my close friends then that would not go over well. This is why people must know what type of language to use while in their different Discourses.