RUNNING HEAD: TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, PLACES & TIMES.

Two Different People, Places & Times.

Alyssa Desormeaux

University of Central Florida

TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

Our personalities are a part of who we are. In interaction with our many different cultural

backgrounds, attitudes beliefs and more, our personalities are a part of what makes our own,

personal “identity kit”. As described by Gee (1989), an “identity kit” is what makes up our

Discourses. All the characteristics and qualities within your many Discourses are a part of what

makes you different from the many other people around you. However, with different discourses,

you may choose to cut-back, limit, or change the way you act within different environments as

well as with different people.

According to Gee (1989), we all have two different types of discourses. We have our

primary discourses, in which Gee specifically defines as being anything that you have learned

from someone or something that is close to you, such as your family, that you most likely

wouldn’t learn at a secondary discourse like school. All that you have learned early on within

your primary discourse are what allows you to have somewhat of an initial understanding

of the world around you, as well as are what can allow you the basic understanding of how

to interact well with those around you.

In addition to your primary discourse(s), Gee (1989) further mentions how we all

have our secondary discourses. These secondary discourses, as defined by Gee (1989), are
all of the things that you are able to learn about, or abilities and information that you are
able to acquire within a more public institution that is outside of your normal or original
Commented [AD1]: I made this change because I wanted
to better show my understanding of Gee's ideas of having
two different Discourses. I wanted to better elaborate on
my undertanding of the terms relating to having two
different Discourses.

comfort zone. It is where we take what we originally learned within our primary discourses

and use it to interact with other people within our secondary discourses.
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

As I try to apply Gee’s definition of Discourses to myself, I am able to realize that my

home, family and friends are what Gee identifies as being my primary discourses, and that my

school in this case, as being my secondary discourse. While identifying my two different

Discourses, I am able to realize how differently I act within each environment, and how my

surroundings are different, as well as the differences in what I learn firsthand from family and

friends, that I would not have known or learned about at school.

Some specific examples I have that can demonstrate the way in which my primary

(home) discourse is different from my secondary (school) discourse would be that within my

secondary discourse, the environment in general can be described as being a place where you are

expected to be a little more formal. I use the term formal as a way to say that within school, you

are expected by mostly the teachers/professors to be respectful and attentive to them and what is

being taught. The environment is set up in a way that students would go to their class(es) to learn

about different subjects that will be later put on an exam or quiz. On addition to this, the students

are furthermore able to interact with other students and the teachers. But simultaneously you are

expected to be silent, respectful, formal and to listen to the teacher/Professor as well as to make

sure you are participating within the class in my way shape of form, as a way to show that you

are actively paying attention.

When it comes to both my primary and secondary discourses, there are many times

and ways in which I am able to see that the subjects, topics and concepts that I have

learned from both of these discourses seem to either interfere with one another, or can

easily be transferred from one discourse of a specific environment, to another of a different

environment. This is further proven by Gee (1989), when he mentioned that when one has
Commented [AD2]: I made this global change because I
noticed that, with help, the prvious concpet of having Non-
Dominant and Dominant Secondary dicsourses, did not
rightfully fit within my essay. Therefore, I was guided more
in the direction of using the concept of how discourses can
be interfered and transfered with one another.
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

two different discourses, it can be easy for them to either interfere with one another, or to

easily transfer knowledge within each other.

A specific but personal example that I have that shows the concept that what you

have learned from one discourse can be transferred on over to another discourse would be

how at my school secondary discourse, I learned a small bit about my cultural background

history, which was about The Haitian Revolution. Once I was able to learn the small bit

about the Haitian Revolution from my secondary discourse, I went home to share/ transfer

that piece of knowledge that I was able to obtain about my cultural background history

with my parents within my primary discourse.

It was within my primary discourse that once I was able to transfer that information

to my parents about what I learned at my secondary discourse, that my parents further

elaborated and educated me a little more about The Haitian Revolution and about my

cultural background history in general. It was within my primary discourse that I was able

to learn about the fact that not only was The Haitian Revolution the first revolution that

ended slavery in Haiti, but I was furthermore able to learn about the specific

leaders/Generals included in the revolution, the first event that initially set it off, the

aftermath of it and more.

Another way in which I was able to transfer what I learned from my primary

discourse to my secondary discourse was how within my primary discourse I was taught to

not lie, that I should always be honest. This value was emphasized to me when I was in 4th

grade, in which I lied about saying that I did not say I did not like a fellow classmate of

mine. Once this happened, my mom emphasized to me the importance of being honest,

especially in a situation where you have no reason to lie, no matter the possible
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

consequences. Once I was taught this lesson, I would always make sure that no matter

where I was, I would always tell the truth, but if I were to be in a situation in which telling

the truth would make me seem like a “snitch”, (which is when you tell on someone), I
would usually not say anything.
Commented [AD3]: I wanted to provide specific details,
demonstrating my understading of how what I have learned
from my two different Discourses could be transfered, or
can easily interfere with one another.

With the differences in what I have learned from my two different discourses, and

how I am able to find ways in which they interfere with one another, or how the concepts

learned can be transferred from one discourse to another, I am able to additionally identify

the ways in which I act differently within my different discourses/ environments.

The ways in which I act at school is different from how I act at home, within my primary

discourse. At school, as previously mentioned, I would act as formal and respectful as I could to

pay attention to what was being taught to me by the teacher. I would at times raise my hand in

class to answer questions from time to time, but for the most part I would mostly remain quiet

and would just observe. When it came to the times I would have to, or at times I, myself, would

voluntarily answer a question(s), I would always answer them quietly, to which would always

cause the teacher or another classmate to tell me to “speak up”, because “we can’t hear you”.

Therefore, within my school secondary Discourse, I would describe the way I were to act within

it to be very quiet, observative and a bit shy.

However, in contrast to how I act within my secondary discourse, within my primary

discourse, which would be when I am with friends and family, at home, or anywhere else that I

feel a little more comfortable, one can say that I turn into a “different person”. I say a “different

person” because of how whenever I am with friends and family, at home, or any other place that

I feel a little more comfortable enough to let a little loose, I tend to get a little louder, a little

more “extra”, a little sillier, and I tend to at times say or do some weird, unusual, ridiculous,
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

and/or comical things. Therefore, whenever I am around people that I know I am more

comfortable with, I tend to let my personality out a little more, and I become a little more

expressive, which is in contrast to how I am within the classrooms, where I am mostly quiet.

There are lots of different reasons as to why I choose to act differently within my

different Discourses. Some of those reasons can relate to how I feel more comfortable at

home with family and friends due to how they are the ones that mostly know me as being

the “weird, unusual and extra” Alyssa. Within my primary discourse I choose to let my

personality out a little more because of how I feel as though I won’t get looked at weirdly

from my friends and family, because of how they know that this is how I can usually be.

But if my friends and family were to possibly look at me funny, as a reaction to my

unusual, weird and funny ways, I know that when it comes from them, the reaction

wouldn’t be seen as coming from a harsh and negative place, and that moments later it

becomes awkward due to this. I know that when I let my personality out a little more at

home, that we would be able to easily laugh it off, without any form of awkwardness being

present afterwards. Commented [AD4]: I made this change because I wanted

to elaborate on why I tend to let my personality out when I
am in a place, or with people that I am more comforable
On addition to this, there are the moments when I choose to become quiet within my with.

secondary discourses. The reasons behind why I choose to stay quiet and at times antisocial

within my secondary discourses can vary from time to time. For example, there are the

times in which I choose to remain quite within my secondary discourses because I am

simply trying to pay attention, or simply observe what is going on around me within the

classroom because I know something important is being taught, or is happening. There are

also the times in which I choose to remain quiet because I do not have anybody within the

classroom that I know I can easily converse with.

TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

Additionally, there are times in which I choose not to talk within my secondary

discourses because I do not feel confident enough to approach someone and try to have a

casual conversation with them. However, when I do try to start a conversation with others,

I at times feel as though the ending of the conversation becomes a bit awkward, to which

they later go on to talk to someone else, making me feel a little less confident about myself

and trying to approach new people, and additionally making me feel as though I was a bit

better off not saying anything, or approaching them at all. Commented [AD5]: I made this change because I was
wanted to elaborate on some of the different reasons as to
why I choose to be quiet within my secondary discourses.
But when it came to the ways in which I would act differently within my different

environments, it can be a bit shocking to my friends and family members. I say this because of

how if a classmate were to tell a close friend of mine that I was one of the quietest people they

have met, my friends would respond with a raised eyebrow. A way of saying “Alyssa... Quiet?

Noooo”, as if to say that they were a bit shocked to hear my name and quiet all in the same

sentence.

On addition to how quiet or loud I can act within my different discourses, I am also

different with how I dress for the different environments that I am about to enter. For

example, within my home primary discourse, I choose to dress a little more comfortable, a

little more laid back, a little “lazy”. Within my home primary discourse, I am not too much

worried about what I wear at home, or how specifically I wear it, because I know that I am

either not going anywhere at all, or I am not going anywhere of major and absolute

importance. Therefore, when I am at home, I dress in ways in which I feel as though I

won’t need the to worry about the approval of the people around me or society in general.

But in contrast to this, when I am within any of my secondary discourses, I mostly choose

to dress a little more sophisticated, a little more presentable, a little more well put together.
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

Furthermore, another way in which I act differently within my different discourses,

or how my discourses are different themselves are through how I speak within them. The

terms that I use, the languages that I listen to, speak and interact in. For example, within

my primary discourses the main languages that is used within my household would be
Kreyol and English. Within my primary discourse, when I am at home with my family, we
Commented [AD6]: I wanted to make these global
changes because I wanted to show the more different ways,
and further elaborate on those ways that I can be different,
within my different disourses.

would mostly converse in Kreyol and English, where I would mostly speak with my parents

as well as my brother more in English, with a little mix of Kreyol, and my parents would

reply back mostly in Kreyol. When I am with friends within my primary discourse, I would

mostly use English, with lots of slang, and a bit of inappropriate language.

However, in contrast to this, within my secondary discourse, for example the

classroom within school, I try to speak a little more formal. I use the word formal here as a

way to say that within my secondary discourses I try to speak with a little less slang, I try to

speak in more complete sentences, in which I try to keep my tone nice, calm and respectful.

But most importantly, when I speak within my school secondary discourse, specifically

within the classroom, I try not to use any form of profanity or other inappropriate forms of

language, as I at times would, when I am with friends within my primary discourse.

In conclusion, the different primary and secondary discourses/environments that I am in

determines how formal and informal I plan to act. It can determine whether I will act shy and be

very quiet, or be a little loud, unusual and extra. Additionally, the different discourses that I

have can determine how formal I plan to dress and how differently I plan to speak or

interact with those that are around me, such as my peers and my teachers/professors as

well. In addition to the way I act within my different discourses, come the differences in what I

am able to learn from each one of them as well. With the different subjects, concepts and
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

ideas that I have learned from both discourses, I am able to see how specifically such topics

that I have learned from my different discourses were able to interfere with one another, or

if/how I can transfer what I learned over to another different discourse. In which these

interferences and idea transfers can allow me to learn a little more about parts of my

cultural background/history or can allow me to understand how to easily interact with the

world and those that are around me.
With these different Discourses, I am able to realize that there are many different and
Commented [AD7]: I made this change within my
conclusion because I wanted to inlcude the new concepts,
ideas, and details that I had previously mentioned within my
essay, that I was not able to mention before, within my
original revised draft essay.

creative ways in which you can learn something new. That you can be able to learn something

new in any type of environment that is outside of school. I am able to see that you have the

opportunity to learn something new wherever you go and at any time.

TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLES, PLACES & TIMES.

References

Gee, J.P. (1989). Literacy, discourse, and linguistics. Journal of Education. 171(1). 5-17.