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Joe Campbell
Professor Andrus
English 289
15 July 2012
Primary Discourse
When talking about Discourse, I first think about what Discourse really means to me. In
James Paul Gee’s essay; “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction and What is
Literacy?” he defines Discourse in a very specific way, he writes: “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” (Gee 526). His definition explains to a tee the things that we are taught when we are young. We are taught how to act, what to believe, the appropriate glances and body positions, the proper clothes to wear in different situations, and so much more. Gee continues on to talk about primary Discourse. He explains,
“All of us, through our primary socialization early in life in the home and peer group, acquire (at least) one initial Discourse. This initial Discourse, which I call our primary Discourse , is the one we first use to make sense of the world and interact with others” (Gee 527).
I first think about my family when discussing primary Discourse. My family has been with me from the beginning and they know me inside and out. In my opinion and agreeing with
Gee’s perspective, I believe that a primary Discourse is a place where you grow up as a child, and where you feel most comfortable. After spending twenty years with my family, I am

Campbell 2 anything but shy around them. They know me like the back of their hands and I wouldn’t want it any other way. After reading Gee’s essay, I have come to appreciate how he explains a
Discourse as an “identity kit” (Gee 526). I think this explains almost perfectly what Discourse is.
We are taught so many things at such a young age, these things that we learn make us grow up into what we are as adults; therefore it is our “identity kit.” This explanation sets the stage for why I believe that my environment as a child was/is my primary Discourse.
Looking back on my life as a child, I am so fortunate to have a family like I do. They are so structured in the way they taught and continue to teach me and my brother. I strongly believe that my primary Discourse is heavily influenced by the Discourse of my parents. My parents have so many strong qualities between the two of them, and a great combination of the two have created my primary Discourse that I live by and grow from each and every day.
I believe that within my primary Discourse, I have many great qualities. My parents are very religious, therefore I grew up going to church every Sunday and I was enrolled in a very respectable Catholic grade school. However, in my primary Discourse, my parents also taught me that I should have choices. This is why when I graduated the 8 th grade; I got to choose what high school I would go to. They gave me a choice to attend a Catholic, all boy school, or I could go to Colerain high school. Being brought up well, I knew that I could handle either school, and
I chose to attend Colerain. My parents taught me to always try my hardest at whatever I do, so that is what I always did. I graduated Colerain with a very high GPA that I am proud of. I am glad that they wanted me to grow up having choices. I believe this can make a person more independent which can help them in the long run when they grow up and move on to the real world.

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Another characteristic that I was taught in my primary Discourse is that working hard is very important. Growing up I remember my mother hardly ever missing a day of work. She would always say, “You just have to work through it, you don’t see the president missing an important meeting because he has a headache or a tummy ache, do you?”
Growing up in a Catholic community has brought me up to be a respectful and more conservative person. When I moved into the large public high school environment I believe that my Discourse took a turn, not for the worse and not for the better. It was just different. I was still taught that hard work was very important and that I always have choices. It was very different in some aspects however. When I went to the Catholic grade school, each quarter I had to take a religion class, so my interest and knowledge about God would keep growing and growing. But when in high school, because it was a public school, they offered no religion classes, which seemed foreign to me. I am still a practicing Catholic, but my Discourse has changed because of the public school. I learned that religion is important but it was not everything. My parents used to tell me that I had to go to church every Sunday or God would be mad at me and the church would frown upon me. But when I started to grow up and mature, I did not have a lot of time to go to church every weekend. I am still a strong believer in God and all he does, but I have come to learn that God will love me even if I cannot make it to church.
I feel as though when I entered high school I became a different person. I did not know many people because it was huge school. This changed my Discourse for the better. I started to meet new friends and become more social so I was not alone in this big new place. I even stretched out my comfort zone so much to meet a girl. Meeting new people helped me in school but also in the outside world. When I went out in public to restaurants and to different places, I noticed myself becoming friendlier to people.

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My newest Discourse community is the college scene. In pursuing a career in business, I have learned how to straighten up when I need to, but also how to relax so I do not stress myself out. My mother is a business woman, so I learned many things from her when I was growing up; never be late to work, always look presentable and professional, and to always act like a businessman. I am currently being taught all the fundamentals that have to do with business and
I believe that this Discourse community is very similar to the one I was taught at home; my primary Discourse.
After reading Gee’s essay about Discourse communities, I have thought long and hard about the many Discourses I have learned over the years. These Discourses have made me a stronger and better person. I believe that I have grown into a person that my parents are proud of. I am glad that I have parents that taught me so well since the day I was born. I also appreciate all the people around me who made me the man I am today.

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Work Cited
Gee, James Paul. “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction and What is Literacy?”
Cushman, Ellen, et.al Literacy, A Critical Sourcebook Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s,
2001 pgs. 525-544