In society, people become involved in many different programs, activities, jobs and many other life styles. Gee says, these lifestyles are broken up into 4 categories: Dominant; non dominant; secondary;and primary discourse. Primary discourses are learned from home and around your family. Secondary discourses are learned through social institutions (ie. school, church, work, etc.). There are two types of Secondary Discourses: Dominant Discourses allow for the acquisition of social goods and status points, Non-Dominant Discourses do not. However, Non-Dominant Discourses do allow for an individual to become ‘solid’ with a given social network, there is just no increase in social status. According to Gee, discourses can be broken up into seven building tasks. These building tasks include, significance, practices, identities, relationships, social goods, connections, and knowledge. Significance is when we give things, people, ideas meaning or value through language (Gee 32). Practices is language that can signal to others what one is doing (Gee 32). Identities use language to indicate one or more roles within a discourse (Gee 32). Relationships is language that signals the types of we have or want with other people in the discourse (Gee 32). Social goods is language that affects the distribution of power, prestige and resources (Gee 32). Connections are noted relevant or irrelevant between things; connects/disconnects things that might or might not seem connected or disconnected (Gee 32). Finally, Knowledge is languages, jargon, nonverbal communications, are sign systems. Language can privilege one set of knowledge over another (Gee 32). The idea behind these building task’s is what makes you apart of whatever discourse you are in and shows you aren’t a mushfake.
If you were to look at snowboarding you can pin it as a secondary or dominant discourse depending how you approach snowboarding. “Secondary Discourses are learned through social institutions (ie. school, church, work, etc.). Dominant Discourses allow for the acquisition of social goods and status points.”( Gee ?) Many events like: The X games; Burton Open; The Winter Olympics; or Dew tour are very popular and well known by everyone. The riders that compete in these competitions are considered professional snowboarders or rookies. They also make a living of snowboarding through competing and through sponsorship’s. For example:”rbes Magazine estimates that in 2008, snowboarding star Shaun White made $9 million in sponsorship earnings from Burton, Hewlett-Packard, Oakley, Red Bull and Target. Even top snowboarders rarely top $100,000 in annual prize money, so product promotions and sponsorships are the real source of income.”(Duff 1) Also in my case, through age 9-15 i was sponsored and competed in smaller competition for boardercross. When gee says that to be a dominant discourse you need to have a status point as well as social goods, Being a professional snowboarder allows you to have a status point as well as making money annually. On the flip side, snowboarding can also fall in the category of secondary discourse. For example: “If you’re an experienced snowboarder, you can take advantage of the high-adrenaline cliff-jumping classes and expert-level chutes. Clinics and classes are designed for middle-of-the-road snowboarders who want to learn to turn with more precision, and if you’ve never snowboarded, you can choose private or group instruction with a certified instructor in a day class or multi-day clinic.”(Seaton 1) Every ski resort that you go to, they have experts that hold lessons that range from beginner to expert. Also many mountains have there own ski/snowboard school that students join and practice every day after school during the season. In this case we will be talking about all mountain riding, which would follow under secondary and non-dominant discourse.
Looking at Gee’s building tasks, significance and connections are a big deal when it comes to snowboarding. When you go and invest into equipment for snowboarding, you want to make sure what you buy is right for you. “Knowing what snowboard equipment you’ll need and choosing the right board, products and accessories for snowboarding can be a daunting experience if you are not quite sure what to look for (Snowboard Essentials 1) Overall, you are going to want to buy, boots, a helmet, face shields, snowboard socks, bindings, snowboard boots, a snowboard, snow pants, gloves or mittens, and a coat. All of these items are a significant part to snowboarding. For all mountain riding, you’re going to want to look for a board that has low to mild flex, a flat or reversed chamber, which will allow you to get more speed and control, and a board that comes up to your nose. A big key to snowboarding is being able to connect with your board and feel comfortable riding it. The more you know how your board works and the more you can enjoy riding the board, the more fun you are going to have riding.
Another building task that Gee uses is Practices. In all mountain snowboarding, learning how to ride goofy and regular will be very helpful when attempting more challenging trails. Also, knowing how to ride switch will allow better performance when you decide to take a few runs through the park. To become a better all mountain rider, it is a good idea to become well rounded when it comes to, steep trails, glades and or park. Becoming good at all mountain riding isn’t easy, for example, Whilst there’s no magic wand you can wave to make you the most seasoned shred-dog in the lands, there are things to consider to maximize your potential on the mountain. (…) If you spend time out of your preferred playground, it’ll pay dividends…trust us (cavanagh 1). In general being able to do everything around the mountain will help you becoming a better all around rider.
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