As discussed in class, discourse is our communication. Furthermore, author James Paul Gee of “What is Literacy” defines discourse as an “identity kit” (Gee, “What is Literacy?”). Gee includes discourse as a combination of one’s thinking, acting, and language that is associated to a group of others. There are different kinds of discourses; two discourses that will be discussed in this paper are primary and secondary. Primary discourse is the “oral mode developed in the primary process of enculturation” (Gee, “What is Literacy?”). The primary discourse in this paper is the first-person experience I had in high school. Secondary discourse is “developed in association with and by having access to and practice with these secondary institutions” (Gee, “What is Literacy?”). School, work, and church are examples of secondary institutions. The secondary discourse in the paper is attending the University of Arkansas and writing this paper. According to Gee, “secondary discourse can serve as a meta-discourse to critique the primary discourse…” (“What is Literacy?”). Throughout this process I wanted to know if high school is destined. Was my high school experience awful or is there a sociological reasoning behind the events? With that, I have researched the social construct and applied it to my previous experiences enabling me to truly discover if high school is destined.
According to Stanford University, “phenomenology is the study of ‘phenomena’ …[essentially focusing on] the meanings things have in our experience” (Stanford, “Phenomenology”). Throughout this paper I am demonstrating the study of phenomenology by researching the meaning of my experiences. In order to gain a better meaning of those past experiences I have acquiesced infor...
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...ciologists identify relating us all in the end.
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Finding a definition of literacy is not as easy as it sounds. The Webster definition says that to be literate is to be” able to read and write.” But to some researchers, this definition is too simplistic, leading to multiple models of literacy. Most Americans adhere to the autonomous model, which falls closest to the standard, dictionary definition. Believers in this form say that literacy is a cognitive activity that students learn like any other basic skill. It has a set of proficiencies that one must master in order to be capable of decoding and encoding text (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). A competing theory is the ideological model, which claims literacy is intrinsically linked to culture, and therefore what constitutes a “literate” individual is ever-changing. Society is the largest influence on literacy, according to this thought, and it is affected by politics, religion, philosophy and more (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). These two are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, some studies recognize “literacy as competence,” which is a “measure of competence to do a given task or work in a given field,” (SIL International, 1999) such as being computer literate. Although more researchers are recognizing and exploring multiple literacies, the one that most influences American schools is the autonomous, cognitive model – the ability to read and write. For many, it seems a simple task, but millions of adolescents are struggling or reluctant readers, and there are many reasons why young readers have difficulty with reading. XXXXXX------NEED HELP WITH THESIS STATEMENT HERE PLEASE—(This paper will focus on the effects of low reading skills, some of the possible causes of reluctant and struggling readership...
The purpose of Rebecca Solnit’s “Abolish High School” is to criticize the present high school system along with the emotional and academic strain it puts on developing minds. Solnit’s intended audience is any educated person with the opportunity to voice their opinions on the current approach to schooling.
In this paper, James Paul Gee states his opinion on the definition of literacy. He begins by redefining the word “discourse” and uses it frequently throughout the paper. Gee defines discourse as a group that you are socially linked to through your actions and thoughts. This group defines who you are in society. He then uses the beginning of his paper to continue explaining “discourses”. The main points he covers are that discourses are defined by history and culture and therefore, change through time. Also, he explains that one is involved in many different discourses. This might cause one to break rules or understandings of one discourse to align with a dissimilar one.
Morreall, J. (1982) ‘Philosophy and Phenomenological Research’, International Phenomenological Society, Vol. 42, No.3, pp. 407-415
The aim of the research is outlined as an attempt to understand the phenomenology of
IN the early morning light, robert chippendale, English teacher for more than 20 years at Tower High, punches in at 7:04. he will never touch the card again. he is unaware that before this day is over, Tower will be rocked by murder, spotlighted by the ten o'clock news and denounced by the general public. Dressed in a blue jogging suit, he carries over his shoulder his sports jacket and newer slacks- his school clothes- in a garment bag, which he hangs in the teacher's locker room. Lightly jogging down the stairs to the back dorr, he pushes it open to cross the short path to the running track. He lets his mind wander. Is it too late to change his life? Season spent running in circles, starting and stopping at the same point on the track, a metaphor, he thinks, for his teaching career, now rutted like the track itself,in the soft years of familiarity. he bends down to retie his laces and notices that the air is surprisingly
According to Dr. Bean’s class syllabus, the primary goal for this course is to, “help you develop the literacy skills you’ll need during your academic career”. In other words, this class was designed to teach students to write like professionals in an academic discourse community. Through several writing and research assignments, we acted as researchers on a quest to examine “how discourse—written, spoken, and digital—is shaped by social practice”. Although I felt I was a decent enough writer, I had doubts that I could accomplish such a tall order of directives. In the end, I found that I could do it, and I did it rather well, thus giving me the boost I needed to continue to move forward on my dream of obtaining a college degree.
I felt as though I was watching a train barrelling towards me, an inevitable bullet that had come tumbling out of the opposing pitcher’s arm. But instead I stood immobilized, watching my team's only chance of winning whiz by me. Strike three. I heard my team from behind me shouting “SWING!” with my mind screaming the same. But my bat remained unmoving, the pop of the catcher's glove like the nail into the coffin that was our defeat. All I had to do to keep our hopes of winning hope alive was swing, and yet I couldn't. I stayed on the field afterwards, tossing the ball up in the air and swinging away, landing it on the thick maple barrel of the bat.
The textbook definition of “literacy”, is the ability to read and write. However, in my opinion, the true definition of the word depends on what literacy means to an individual. In today's society, being literate is almost always required to get any type of decent job. Literacy is definitely the first step of many to be successful in today's society. However, that is not the only means of importance that literacy holds. The fact that literacy has different definitions ties into the fact that literacy has had different effects on certain people throughout their lives. Most people in today's society seem to take literacy for granted because they view it as a hassle or obligation. I do not view literacy as that because of how it has helped me get through the toughest times in my life. In reality, you should love to read no matter what genre it is, and you should write until your hands go numb. Throughout my life, literacy has been a backbone of sorts throughout the struggles I've been through. By using literacy as a form of support, it has allowed me to grow a strong connection to reading and writing and truly appreciate it. To me, literacy means hope. Literacy has helped me heal and has helped me connect with people from all over the country who have changed my life forever.
The basic definition of phenomenology is, the study of conscious human understanding in day-to-day life; it is the connection between the shape of social life on the one hand and how people perceive, think, and talk about it on the other hand. Berger and Luckman believed that, “society was a human product, society is an objective reality, and that man is a social product” (P.341). From this sociological truth they developed the social construction of reality. This is the process whereby people continuously create, through their actions and interactions, a shared reality that is experienced as objectively factual and subjectively meaningful. In other words, the social world is not given, not natural, not revealed, and not fully determined, it is made up by people.
Merleau-Ponty defines phenomenology as the study of essences, including the essence of perception and consciousness. He also says that phenomenology is a method of describing the nature of our perceptual contact with the world. Phenomenology also tries to bring to light the experiences that we create when we are introduced to the world around us.
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (5th ed., pp. 12-286). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, Arnold V. Miller, and J. N. Findlay. Phenomenology of Spirit. Oxford [England: Clarendon, 1977. Print.
Literacy, what is it? When this question was asked, my immediate thought was being able to read and write, duh. But as I sat back in my chair and tried to come up with something to say to the class, I realized literacy is not truly defined by that short definition provided when looked up in the dictionary. Literacy has been an important part every civilization, enabling the recording and sharing of history, thoughts, and ideas. It has a place in every aspect of society. From cooking, to science, to religion, literacy knows no bounds. Although literacy is often thought of as the ability to read and write in an academic setting, to me literacy is more beneficial when used outside of an educational context. Literacy in its most significant form is being able to decipher emotions and feelings, finding productive solutions to the problems, and sharing with others.