Learning Set Meeting 3

Monday 24th November was the third learning set meeting which went well.
After addressing several points on the agenda, the group went through the learning module Positioning: the discursive production of selves.
I found it helpful to go through the questions with the group as there were several elements that I did not take into condsideration.
Question 5 asked about 'categories' what they are and what the implications of fitting into more than 1 would be.
I used the example of a transexual to illustrate the implications of a person fitting into many categories, which both Charon and Harry noted this could only be a problem if the categories they fit into are mutually exclusive/ contradictory.
From the discussion we concluded that categories could be seen as a person's version of truth. For instance the category one person may think they fit into, may be completly different to the category another person may put them into.

Harry inputted a valid assumption about categories. Can they change? For which Charon and I were in agreement that they can change and are a representation of the culture at that moment in time. I suggested just by the fact of calling some a transexual has therefore categorised them, which wouldn't have been the case 100 years ago.

Question 7 threw up a disagreement of the interpretation of the text. Charon and I found that our explanations of the questions contradicted each other, however we both based our reasoning on information from the article.
Charons explanation of the difference between role and positioning said that a role is opened up by a speaker and positioning is the stance which the other speaker positions themselves within the discourse.
My exaplanation used role as a subject position which is made available through a discourse and positioning is how they position themselves within that particular discourse.

For the meeting next week we are to complete the final question of the positioning article, but focus on essay 2, for which I am going to prepare an essay plan for.