Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Discourse Communities
Defining a “Discourse Community”
Defining a “Discourse Community”
• A “cluster of ideas”• A “group of people who share certain language-using practices”
• Writing and knowledge building• Writing and community building
• A “cluster of ideas”• A “group of people who share certain language-using practices”
• Writing and knowledge building• Writing and community building
Knowledge and the Notion of a “Discourse Community”
Knowledge and the Notion of a “Discourse Community”
• The focus on community composition studies shows that “language use in a group is a form of social behavior, that discourse is a means of maintaining and extending the group’s knowledge and of initiating new members into the group, and that discourse is epistemic or constitutive of the group’s knowledge” (Swales 468).
• The focus on community composition studies shows that “language use in a group is a form of social behavior, that discourse is a means of maintaining and extending the group’s knowledge and of initiating new members into the group, and that discourse is epistemic or constitutive of the group’s knowledge” (Swales 468).
Swales’ Characteristics of a “Discourse Community”
Swales’ Characteristics of a “Discourse Community”
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
Let’s look at each characteristic in
more detail.
Let’s look at each characteristic in
more detail.
1. Goals1. Goals
“A discourse community has a broadly agreed upon set of common public goals.”
“A discourse community has a broadly agreed upon set of common public goals.”
Goals of The Plastics?Goals of The Plastics?
2. Intercommunication2. Intercommunication“A discourse community has mechanisms of communication among its members.”
The communication takes place regularly, but the mechanisms can vary according to the community (meetings, correspondence, newsletters, conversations, Facebook posts, etc.).
“A discourse community has mechanisms of communication among its members.”
The communication takes place regularly, but the mechanisms can vary according to the community (meetings, correspondence, newsletters, conversations, Facebook posts, etc.).
Intercommunication between The Plastics?
Intercommunication between The Plastics?
3. Participation3. Participation
“A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. Thus, membership implies uptake of the informational opportunities.”
Communication and participation involves the exchange of knowledge.
“A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. Thus, membership implies uptake of the informational opportunities.”
Communication and participation involves the exchange of knowledge.
4. Genres4. Genres“A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.”
Genres “articulate the operations of the discourse community.”
Examples include chemistry reports, personal narratives, hip hop music, emails, etc.
“A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.”
Genres “articulate the operations of the discourse community.”
Examples include chemistry reports, personal narratives, hip hop music, emails, etc.
Genres of The Plastics?
Genres of The Plastics?
5. Lexis5. Lexis
“A discourse community has acquired some specific lexis.”
Lexis includes specialized terminology, community-specific abbreviations, and community-specific acronyms.
“A discourse community has acquired some specific lexis.”
Lexis includes specialized terminology, community-specific abbreviations, and community-specific acronyms.
The Lexis of The Plastics?
The Lexis of The Plastics?
“Fetch”“Burn book”“The Plastics”“Fugly”
“Fetch”“Burn book”“The Plastics”“Fugly”
6. Expertise6. Expertise
“A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise […] Survival of the community depends on a reasonable ratio between novices and experts.”
“A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise […] Survival of the community depends on a reasonable ratio between novices and experts.”
“Is it a discourse
community?”
“Is it a discourse
community?”
The STL CardinalsThe STL Cardinals
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
A sorority/fraternityA sorority/fraternity
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
UMSL studentsUMSL students
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
Facebook usersFacebook users
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
The Harry Potter Fan Club
The Harry Potter Fan Club
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
Republican votersRepublican voters
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
College Democrats at UMSL
College Democrats at UMSL
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
Composition ScholarsComposition Scholars
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
Our classOur class
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
AcademiaAcademia
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
• Goals• Intercommunication• Participation• Genres • Lexis• Expertise
DiscussionDiscussion
Swales argues that membership in a discourse community does not necessarily involve assimilation of world-view. What does this mean? Do you agree?
Swales argues that membership in a discourse community does not necessarily involve assimilation of world-view. What does this mean? Do you agree?
