Discourses are different for every person and it is how we interact in the world. It also identifies us. In order to be apart of a Discourse or wanting to identify yourself as something you have to learn first. For example, if you want to be considered a gang member,v you cannot just be taught to be a gang member but in order to be one you must be enculturated. This means actually training and learning, as Gee puts it, “Supported interaction with people who have already mastered the Discourse” (Gee 7). In order to be apart of a Discourse you must learn from the best until you yourself are the best. There are multiple difficulties when trying to join a Discourse. Gee originally states that you cannot commit to a Discourse only half way, in order to be considered a part of a Discourse you must fully commit and learn everything. Gee keeps his rules of entering a Discourse pretty consistent until he contradicts himself.

Gee says that people are not allowed to just pretend you are in a Discourse because that means that you truly do not have it. This is how Gee describes how getting into Discourses work. Gee writes “You are either in it or you’re not” (9). After gee states this he then says that there is such thing as a Mushfake Discourse. The new type of Discourse called a “Mushfake” Discourse which he says is possible.“Partial acquisition coupled with meta-knowledge and strategies to “make do”” (13). Mushfake is a term that basically means making something out of nothing. The “Partial Acquisition” means only some of the information needed to be in a Discourse. By saying this Gee says that there actually is a way to fake being in a discourse by making do with what you have learned. Even though it is not every detail you need to know.

Cuddy and Gee relates because they both believe in only half way acquisition which allows someone to fake it until you make it.

Gee’s description of how difficult it is to enter a discourse which then means I can introduce his idea of Mushfake.