“After our initial socialization in our home community, each of us interacts with various non-home-based social institutions- institutions in the public sphere, beyond the family and immediate kin and peer group. These may be local stores and churches, schools, community groups, state and national businesses, agencies and organizations, and so forth”(Gee 8). I agree with Gee’s ideology concerning the fact that every single person obtains different, unique secondary Discourses depending on their life situation and surroundings. Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to every person’s unique life situation, as each person will pick up different secondary Discourses based on their life choices and the societal institutions they associate themselves with.
“And so I want to say to you, don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it. Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize”(Cuddy 19:10). I agree with Cuddy’s idea here because I support the ideology that a person has the internal power to fake something such as a Discourse until it becomes a part of them fully. Gee’s theory of “fake it till you become it” is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of a person having trouble finding their own identity and confidence in a certain social situation.
“In fact, the lack of fluency may very well mark you as a pretender to the social role instantiated in the Discourse (an outsider with pretensions to being an insider)”(Gee 10). I disagree with Gee’s first theorem because I think it is unreasonable for Gee to place this label on a person whom is not fully immersed in a Discourse. By focusing on the term pretender, Gee overlooks the deeper problem of the person’s true desire to fully obtain a new Discourse. Gee is uncalled forin putting the pretender label on any person who has not achieved full mastery of a certain Discourse yet.
“Yes you are! You are supposed to be here! And tomorrow you’re going to fake it, you’re going to make yourself powerful, and you’re going to go into the classroom, and you are going to give the best comment ever”(Cuddy 18:35). I agree Cuddy’s advice to her former student, however, it is difficult to say whether this advice will work for all people, as every person has a different situation they are in. Gee is right that her student could believe that she belongs at Harvard, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that this ideology will work for everyone. Each person has his or her own unique situation, and just because her beliefs worked for her former student does not mean it will work for every person.
Here is the link to my 4 moves table.
