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BruceGuzman RebeccaAgosta English1103 April6,2014 TheDawnoftheBro Intodayssociety,aplethoraofsocialgroupsexist.Thediscoursecommunity(socialgroup)I willbestudyingwillbeanewgroup,theBros.Amongthesegroupsliesmanystereotypes,literacies, andactionsthatdescribesorqualifiesapersonwithinthecommunity.Tobeginmyresearchmy professorprovidedmewithsomeinformationregardingthesecommunities.Onescholarshebrought uptousinclasswasJohnSwales.Swalesrevealsthatthesegroupswerentformedbychancebutby theideathatweareinfluencedbytheeverydaythingsinourlives.Oursocialgroupslookliketheyre justformedbythewaywetalkorsimplereasonslikethatbuttoSwalesadiscoursecommunityhassix definingcharacteristics.UsinghisreadingsIwasabletounderstandwhatadiscoursecommunity supposedlymusthave.TofurthermyresearchIlookeduponavarietyofsecondarysources,whichare scholarlyarticles,books,etc.,tohelpmegainanacademicviewofmytopic.Bygoingtothelibraryand usingtheirhelpfuldatabases,Ifoundanovel,GuyLandbyMichaelS.Kimmel,thatspokeaboutthis socalledupcomingeraofthemaleracethatsdesperatelystuckinbetweenamixtureofcollege graduateandamaturemanalsoknownasabro.Hetalksabouttheirbeliefsystems,relationships,and personalities/preferenceswhichhasgiventhebrosadestructiveanduglyimagetosociety.Acquiringa concreteprimarysourcemeantthatIhadtomoveontofindingtwosecondarysources,whichareblogs, newspapers,websites,etc.Usingpreviousknowledgeandmemory,IlookedupTheBroCodefrom

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renownsitcomHowIMetYourMother,becauseIknewitwasaperfectartifactformyresearch.The BroCodeisasimplerulebookorguidelinetowhichotherbrosshouldfollowiftheyconsider themselvesatruebro.IchosethisartifactbecauseIbelieveditwouldprovidemewithagood comparisonastohowabroactsonaT.V.showcomparedtoabroinreallife.Thefinalsourcetomy researchwasmynotesanddetailedobservationsofthebroslivingonthesamefloorasmeinMoore Hall.Ireallydidnthavetolooktoohard,theguysonmyflooralreadyfellunderthestereotypicalimage ofabro,butIstartedobservingandrecordingtheirconversations,plans,personalitiesandeveryday actions.Usingthesefoursourcesandtheresearchbehindthem,Ihavebeenabletoidentifywhatabro trulyis. InTheConceptofDiscourseCommunity,JohnSwalestriestodefinethetruemeaningofa discoursecommunity.Hearguedthatadiscoursecommunityhadsixdefiningcharacteristics: 1.Adiscoursecommunityhasabroadlyagreedsetofcommonpublicgoals. 2.Adiscoursecommunityhasmechanismsofintercommunicationamongitsmembers. 3.Adiscoursecommunityusesitsparticipatorymechanismsprimarilyoprovideinformationand feedback. 4.Adiscoursecommunityutilizesandhencepossessonormoregenresinthecommunicative furtheranceofitsaims. 5.Inadditiontoowninggenres,adiscoursecommunityhasacquiredsomespecificlexis. 6.Adiscoursecommunityhasathresholdlevelofmemberswithasuitabledegreeofrelevant contentanddiscoursalexpertise.

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Ibeganmyresearchfirstbyunderstandingwhatadiscoursecommunitywas.Istruggledtograspthe meaningbutIkeptreadingSwaleswritingsandtriedtocomprehendthisnewtopic.AfterawhileI begantorealizethatthisnewtopicwasntsonewafterall.Thesocialgroupsaroundmeformed throughoutmylifewerethesecommunities.ButSwaleshelpedmeunderstandthatadiscourse communitywasmorethansocialgroupsbutacommunityofmembersrecruitedbyqualificationor commonculture.Thesesixqualitiesmustbemetinordertocallagroupofpeopleadiscourse.Thefirst ideaexpressesthatinordertobeinagrouponemusthavecommonideasorgoalsofthegroup.How elsecouldyoubecomefriendswithpeoplethatyouhavenothingincommonwith?Thenext characteristicmeansthemembersofthegrouptalkamongsteachother.Thethirdideahereisthat peoplewhoarewithinthecommunitymighthavetohelpgiveoutinformationtootherpeople.The fourthideapointsouthowthediscoursecommunityoperatesondevelopingdiscoursalideasforthe bettermentoftheircommunity.Thefifthcharacteristicincludesspeechesandhowtheymovetheir messageacrosstopeople.Thelastcharacteristicstatesthatthemembersofthegroupneedtoknow whattheyaresayingandareasonableratiobetweennovicesandexpertsshouldexistforthediscourse communitytowork.Withthesecharacteristicsandtheknowledgeofwhatadiscoursecommunitywas, Iwaspreparedtofurthermyresearchonthebrocommunity. HavingunderstoodwhatadiscoursecommunitywasIbegansearchingformyprimarysource. Thesescholarlywritingsorsourcesweretohelpmefindapublishedpiecepertainingtomydiscourse community.WithinmysearchIcameuponthenovel,Guyland,whichwaswrittenbyMichaelS. Kimmel.KimmelwentontoinvestigateAmericanmalesbetweentheagesofsixteenandtwentysix becausehewantedtoseethestagesoftheawkwardjourneywhereboystransitionintomanhood.

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LookingfurtherintoKimmelswriting,hetalksaboutagroupofboysthatarepoisedbetween adolescenceandadulthood(Kimmel,3)hearingthisIinstantlythoughtaboutmybrodiscourse community.Readingonfurther,whenKimmelstarteddescribingthisgroup,certainqualitiesstoodout tome:gooutwiththeirbuddies,drinktoomuch,andsavetoolittle(Kimmel,3).ImmediatelyIknew Kimmelwasreferencingbrosduetohisdescriptionanddecidedtousehisnovelasasourcetomy research.RentingthebookfromtheUNCClibraryallowedmetohavequickaccesstomysourceand helpedmefindcertainpartsofinformationthathelpedmyoverallconclusion.Kimmelcategorizesthe grouptobelazy,anduncertainthatbarelystudiesandpartiestoohard.Havingsaidallthat,itissafeto saythatKimmelsinvestigationopenedtheworlduptothisnewgroupofhalfboyhalfmen,orwhatI liketocallBros,apparentlyservenopurposeduetotheiraimlessattitudetowardslife.Inconclusion Kimmelclassifiesbrostobeunhassledbythedemandsofparents,girlfriends,jobs,kids,andtheother nuisancesofadultlife(Kimmel,4). Mynextpartofmyresearchinvolvedpickinganartifactformydiscoursecommunity.The artifactcouldvebeenapamphlet,orquotethatwasrelatedtomytopic.Idecidedtochoosethe website(http://valenciabrocode.blogspot.com/p/brocoderules.html)toaccessTheBroCodefrom thetelevisionshowHowIMetYourMother.Thispartofmyresearchinvolvedanunconventionalway ofresearchingforinformationwatchingt.v.ByusingTheBroCodeasmyartifact,Iwasabletosee explicitlywhatabrowoulddoinanygivensituation.Readingoverthecodes,Irealizedthattherewere somereallygoodlifelessonsbutthensomereallystupidandobnoxiousonesaswell.BroCodenumber 35justdescribeshowridiculousitcanbe,Thewayofthebroissacred,cherishitlikeasectorcult. ThebrolifeislikebeinginJeditrainingcamp.Youmustalwaysshowyourbroloveandbejoyous

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whenbroloveisshowntoyou.Butthenagainnotallofitwascompletecraplikecodenumber34that says,Whenapromiseismade,itshallbekept.Andundernocircumstancesshallitbebroken.AfterI readoverthebrocodes,Itriedtoseeifmyfriendsorfellowbrosfollowedanyofthem.Surprisingly oneofmyfriendsfollowednumber32,wherenomatterhowdrunkonebrois,theywontmesswith theirbrosgirlfriend.SeeingJackfollowingtheBroCodenomatterwhatthesituationledmetomy conclusion.UnlikeMichaelKimmel,Idon'tseethebrocommunitytobeasgruesomeandintolerantas hedoes,Iseesomeveryhonorableandworthycharacteristicsinsteadoflazyandunwilling.Through theBroCodeIwasabletogainanewperspectiveofbros.BrosarentjustcrazyandwildlikeKimmel suggests,theyhavetrustworthyqualitiesthatcanbeseenintheBroCodes. Asmylastsourceofinformation,Idecidedtotakedetailedobservationnotesthatdepictedmy friendsactionssothatIcoulddeterminethroughcarefulwatchwhetherornotIcouldclassifythemas bros.Recordingthisinformationwasbeneficialformanyreasons.ImprettymuchreenactingKimmels studywherehesobservingthesimilarcharacteristics,andculturalmakeupthatformedthisdiscourse community.MyobservationsfirststartedoffwithmyfriendsJackandBrandon.Iwantedtorecord whattheytalkedabout,whattheydidandeverythinginbetween.Ilistenedtothemrantfromarangeof thingssuchas:theirfavoritecollegesportsteam,whowasgoingtoplaythisweek,thehotgirlsaround campus,andthedifferenttypesofpartiescomingup.Socommunicationwise,Iobservedthatbrostalk alotaboutsports,music,girls,andpartying.Theirattitudeswereverysarcasticandcarefree.Witheven furtherobservations,IsawthatJackandBrandonwerealwaystheloudestonesinthegroupforsome reason.Duringmyobservationsitwasclearenoughtoseethesimilaritiesinthelifestylesofmyfriends andKimmelstestgroup.Theykilledtimebyplayingvideogamesorwatchingt.v.,pushedoff

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homeworkforfun,andwentoutalmosteverynight.Byobservingmyfriendsandtheirbehavior,Iwas abletoconcludemyresearchastowhatabrois. Sowhatisabro?ThroughtheculminationofresearchIhavegatheredformysourcesIbelieve Iknowwhatabroisnow.Thebrocommunitysharesmanyqualitiessuchasbeingloud,talkingabout girls,partyingtoomuch,drinkingtoomuch,andmuchmore.Butitsalsoknownforitsloyaltyand commitment.TheBroCodes,assatiricalastheyare,theyrevealtheloyaltyandcommitmentthatbros haveforeachother.Eventhoughthattheyhaveahorriblereputationandabadname,thisdiscourse communitydefinitelyexistsandcanbeseeninoureverydaylives.