Journal Four - Samantha Murphy

Gee clearly focuses on the term discourse, as it is mentioned 86 times throughout his article. He also outwardly defines the term as "a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, and of acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of a socially meaningful group or 'social network'." (29) He also mentions the terms "social" and "language" quite frequently. To Gee, discourse has a social role above all things and this role initiates a language within a specified discourse that is socially accepted. He also puts emphasis on the difference between "acquisitions" and "learning." While acquisition is subconscious knowledge gained by trial and error, learning is conscious knowledge gained through teaching (32). In relation to our class discussions, we recently discussed the definition of knowledge being unique to each individual. I can incorporate that idea into the definitions of acquisitions and learning to get a better understanding of what they mean.
The discourse community I aim to discuss in project 2 is the theatre community. Being a member of this community for 12 years of my life, I can recognize the special language, thinking and behavior that is involved. There are unique terms understood by people in avidly involved in theatre that others would not completely understand, such as specific blocking terms and tech terms. It is very similar to other discourse communties within the performing and visual arts discipline with their language and behavior expectations. For example, many theatre majors can grasp the language specific to dance majors, because much of it is shared. Within the theatre community, there is a huge writing aspect. Writing is found everywhere from the scripts to playbills to personal notes taken during the rehearsal process.
I find theatre so intriguing, as I plan to study it for the next four years here at Florida State University. Personally, I find the text within a script fascinating and the way words and sentences can be brought to life onstage, and more importantly have an effect on an audience. Theatre is an odd literature, for it is not meant to be read in silence or even in a classroom, but it is meant to be performed and seen to be truly taken in and appreciated. I find it so interesting how the genre of musicals is changing and becoming more contemporary and relatable. The skill of recognizing contemporary breakouts and new ideas within theatre is a great start for someone wishing to join the theatre community. For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda's incorporation of hip hop and rap in Hamilton, the growing importance of social media displayed in Dear Evan Hansen, and the growing popularity of electric and ENC music used to explain historically older tales such as War and Peace in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.