- Gee’s definition of Discourse is extremely useful because it sheds light on the very basics of human interaction and communication. He says, “what is important is … saying (writing) – doing – being – valuing – believing.” I agree with Gee’s idea here because this is the very basis for how people go about communicating. You literally can’t communicate in any way without any sort of interactions, and these are the base forms of interactions.
- Cuddy’s theory of “fake it ‘till you become it” is extremely useful because it sheds light on the process of becoming a part of society. I agree with Cuddy’s statement because this is the basis of the process of becoming a part of anything. People don’t start off experts, so they practice and fake confidence, and at some points, faking actual knowledge of how to act. It is about observing and becoming the part, and at the beginning, you have to fake it.
- Gee’s claim that people are either part of a Discourse or not rests on the questionable assumption that faking and practicing to be part of a Discourse marks you as an outcast. Gee says, “someone cannot engage in a Discourse in a less than fluent manner.” I disagree with Gee’s idea here because it is possible to be somewhat inside of a Discourse. It is part of the process of becoming part of the Discourse to be less than fluent in it.
- Although I agree with Gee up to a point, I cannot accept the overriding assumption that becoming part of an existing Discourse is impossible. He says, “Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life.” I agree with Gee’s idea here because “Discourse” is literally defined as how people interact with others in the world. I disagree because there are ways of interaction that people don’t necessarily live by.
