Discourse
Throughout daily interactions we encounter many different variations of the same language. This may include the words used, or even how you act while interacting. James Paul Gee composed a journal called “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” that encompasses what a Discourse is and how to acquire it. A monumental component of a Discourse is your behavior, which Amy Cuddy elaborates on in a TED Talk called “Your body language shapes who you are.” She talks about our behavior and what is affected by it and also how to change our behavior to fit the current situation. Many factors affect our Discourse, including the current environment or situation, but not necessarily the actual proper linguistics. Also, there are many contributors to our Discourse such as verbals and nonverbals, which creates an identity kit.
What is a Discourse?
Discourse, as explained by Gee is a language spoken within a certain group of people that contains predetermined beliefs, and values. Essentially, your behavior, attitude, and language is altered slightly or completely from one Discourse to the next. There are also different types of Discourses; secondary, primary, dominant and nondominant. Primary Discourse is what you grow up with, essentially a combination of your parents’ Discourse. A secondary Discourse is any other “language” you acquire throughout your life. Lastly, dominant and nondominant fall under a secondary Discourse. Dominant is any Discourse that will help you in life, or acquire more “goods” (money, status, etc.), and it may be spoken in a workplace, or school. A non dominant Discourse would be any other secondary Discourse that doesn’t help you acquire more “goods”; it may be spoken with people such as friends or other informal instances.
To acquire an attitude or Discourse you must utilize your resources to become it.
“fake it till you become it. Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize it.”(7)
Amy Cuddy is talking in regards to your attitude. You have to pose as if you’re confident and powerful, and you will actually become confident and powerful. You are using your knowledge of what confident and powerful people compose themselves and you’re replicating it. Also in support of that is James Gee’s statement “do with something less when the real thing is not available.”(13) In both instances you must use your resources to act or talk as you wish. This allows you to “make-do” in certain situations, and it also contributes to your identity. While you essentially fake a behavior or language, you are perceived a certain way by those around you. Eventually you will acquire an attitude or Discourse by acting as if you have it. By utilizing what you know about those in your situation you may alter your words or behaviors ultimately allowing you to become a “regular” in that certain situation or environment.
Our “identity kit” is derived from our verbals and nonverbals. Gee talks about our identity coming with the “appropriate costume” regarding how we “act, talk, and often write.” (7) This is more related to our verbal actions, and how we relay these verbal actions gives us an identity. People interpret your words and, using stereotypes, make assumptions on you as a person. This “language” you utilize shows who you are, because of how you use it and when you use it. Cuddy also discusses our identity saying “nonverbals govern how other people think and feel about us.” (4) Likewise your verbal actions, people will make judgements on your nonverbal actions as well. Collectively, our nonverbals and verbals make us who we are, creating our “identity kit” and these factors may be altered depending on the current situation. If you were to change how you act and compose yourself you will be judged differently or you may fit into a different group by altering these components.
Discourse involves much more than linguistics. Throughout Gee’s article he stresses how unimportant reading and writing are, he goes on to state “that Discourse always involves more than writing and reading.” (11) The other components, he goes on to state, are the doing, valuing and believing. The surface of a Discourse is the writing and reading, but ultimately those are obsolete and what really matters and the manner in which you do it. In support of that, Cuddy experimented with interviewees. She found that employers hire “high-power” people, it wasn’t about the “content of the speech”, rather it was about “the presence they’re bringing to the speech.” (6) Although this doesn’t relate to writing and reading, the experiment shows that it’s your presence, how you compose yourself, which is essentially based off of your beliefs and values. If you believe you’re correct, you will have confidence and not shy away from others. Discourse is based off of much more than the linguistic aspects, it’s also based off your values and beliefs and the context in which you use them.
Having a Discourse can be beneficial in life. Throughout your existence you will strive, for the most part, to attain the highest position in any organization. Upon investigation into the different types of Discourses Gee realizes they
“carry with them power and prestige.” (11)
These certains “languages” allow you to assimilate in certain situations such as at school or work. Also, if you are proficient and effective with the Discourse you may be able to earn promotions or better grades due to participation or being able to communicate effectively and confidently. Cuddy goes on to say “our behavior can change our outcomes.” Behavior is a huge part of Discourse, and it greatly affects where we end up. If we are comfortable in our work Discourse and fully immersed in it we will be confident and this greatly affects our outcomes in terms of promotions and achievement in life. Completely having a Discourse; the talking, doing, valuing, and believing, greatly affects the outcome of our life and it’s very beneficial to have.
Conclusively, behavior and Discourse correspond to one another greatly. The factors that contribute to Discourse include our identity kit, current situation or environment. Both Gee and Cuddy’s research compliment one another and they create a strong argument, collectively. Ultimately, we display many Discourses everyday and there are subtle or even drastic alterations that occur between each Discourse.
Works Cited
Cuddy, Amy. “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.” TED Talk. TED.com, Edinburgh. June 2012. Transcript. 30 Aug. 2015.
Gee, James Paul. “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction.” Journal of Education 171.1 (1989): 5–17. Print.
