The meaning of a discourse has often been limited to the arrangement of concepts to make sense. While this definition is true, its meaning goes deep into the context in which a language is used and its effect. A discourse consists of an entire code of behavior or way of life of people who share a context. It therefore forms an integral part of a person’s identity. Two of the most prominent discourses in my life are an officer in the military and a mom. Hereunder is a discussion comparing and contrasting the mom discourse and the navy officer’s discourses.
Both mom and military are secondary discourses in that I acquired them in my adulthood. My experience in both discourses is less than ten years. However, they have now become an influential part of my life making them a part of my everyday language and a part of my environment. I can consider being a mom as my current primary discourse. Being a mom has changed most aspects of my life. Having two toddlers fully depending on me barely allows me to engage in any activity or make any decision that does not involve them. They have taken a central part in my life. I spend most of my time with them, given that they are present and needy for the entire time I am in my home. This is also my primary discourse because I will remain the children’s mother for my entire life, even when they are grown. My current communication with the children is mainly composed of baby talk although they are learning simple sounds and words. As they grow, the discourse may change significantly, but it will remain between a parent and a child. Their dependency will decrease as they grow older but parenthood remains a life-long responsibility.
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Apart from the monetary benefits gained, a recruit learns how to live in obedience to a certain discipline. This is a factor that binds all military personnel together and separates them from civilians. Navy language is a defining characteristic of the discourse. It is different from language used in other life contexts and is unique, only familiar to the members of the same military arm. “Scuttlebutt” for instance, is a term used in the navy to refer to rumors or the grapevine. However, the history of the term gives it context. Its history clarifies why the term loses its true implication in any other context other than among naval officers. A scuttlebutt was a vessel which carried drinking water for naval officers at sea. As they gathered around it to drink they shared stories and ridiculed each other in jest. Rumors were therefore often shared during such moments; hence the term came to be associated with the grapevine. The military discourse is most suitable when I’m among my friends, most of whom served or are still in the military.
I cannot claim to be in a certain discourse unless I am fluent in it. Gee refers to this concept as the first principle (Gee, 1989). Both the naval officer and the mom discourses form an integral part of my life. Though it was acquired in just eight years, the military discourse significantly affected my perspective. Military training and drills are strenuous and heavily engaging. They are designed to instill a specific physiological and psychological disposition in each serviceman. Moreover, few military men who are deployed ever forget their experiences while on deployment. Military lingo is among the factors that differentiate military men from civilians; hence they often use it whenever in each other’s company. It is a uniting factor which identifies them even after they have left service. To this day, lessons learnt in the navy regulate my current outlook towards life. I have been a mom for only a short while now, yet I have fully adapted to the moms lifestyle. My transition into motherhood was easy because it was well planned. I waited until I wanted a family for me to become a mom. Ironically, I have not mastered this life yet given that I am a new mother with little prior experience. The children’s age difference is small, thus i did not have enough time to learn from the first one before having the second one. Despite the change in lifestyle, motherhood has been a blessing and has given me a new cause to live for.
Mastering more than one discourse has helped me to see each discourse from the perspective of another. I have interacted with numerous discourses from my childhood. For instance, I met numerous people when working in my parents RV camp business, all of whom introduced me to their prevalent discourses. This may be the premise from which Gee considers literacy liberating (Gee, 1989). Literacy facilitates a heightened sense of self-awareness among the most literate, referring to those who have mastered the highest number of discourses. One implication is that such individuals turn out to be easily adaptable in different environments and are easily accepted as members or “legal participants” of the discourses (Gee, 1989). The discipline that I gained when in the military, for instance, has been helpful in my life as a mom. Being a mom can be mundane in that there are numerous routines that can be boring and monotonous. I had already experienced such in my navy training and service. This discipline is not prevalent in the campus discourse and in other discourses that I encountered when I was working in the RV business.
I have noticed that there are differences in writing in various discourses in which I have been engaged. First, the form of writing differs between the mom and naval discourse. In the mom discourse, the writing is always informal and includes such documents as shopping lists, text messages and notes to the nanny. The forms of writing in the military include reports and intelligence briefs. Writing as a naval officer is often formal, especially when it is directed to the superior officers. Secondly, the motive of writing differs between the two discourses. In the military, the reports are a requirement and are sent as a formality in operations. They are also often standardized. As a mom, writing is dynamic and aimed at communicating and coordinating things at home. Effective communication also helps me organize different aspects of my life. However, the campus and military discourse have some similarities namely; the presence of formal writing and presentation of reports to superior. The higher ranking officer and the lecturer are the superiors in the military and campus discourse respectively.
In conclusion, the military and mom discourses are similar in that they have left an indelible impact in my life. They are, however, distinct in their characteristics and impact. The nature and structure of language use differs. Each context has its unique terminology and slang. Military writing is significantly more formal and mission centered while writing as a mom is informal and aimed at coordinating and organizing things in my life. One of the similarities that I found is the discipline required in both discourses. I can also attest that mastery of discourses constitutes literacy. Having mastered many discourses, I find it easy to navigate through diverse environments. Discourse is therefore an important factor in defining our identity.
References
Gee, J. P. (1989). Literacy, discourse, and linguistics: Introduction. Journal of education, 171(1), 5-17.
