Running head: DISCOURSE COMMUNITY 1

Discourse Community Ethnography

Jacob Heid

The University of El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

September 27, 2018

DISCOURSE COMMUNITY 2

Abstract

This paper has no abstract.

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Discourse Community Ethnography

Swales has defined a discourse community as any system that allows a group of

individuals to share ideas and beliefs. Without a discourse community it would be hard for

writers or individuals to be able to expand their knowledge and beliefs. Every discourse

community is demonstrated through certain characteristics, using Swales characterizers this class

is a discourse community.

Literature Review

Discourse Community is used in its own unique way depending on the group. The way

that someone speaks is entirely different than the way another individual will speak and is used

every day and in every situation. Depending on what an individual is trying to say, the way they

speak will vary. If they are trying to have a more persuasive form of speech, then their discourse

community will be formed around that goal. Their speech or writing may also contain different

techniques used to help convey a message, such as using ethos, pathos, or logos. According to

Elliot (2017), ideas are also able to be shared through the use of intertextuality (pg. 36-48), there

is so much literature that has already been written that it is extremely difficult to come up with a

piece of literature that is 100% original. Through the use of intertextuality, ideas are able to be

spread to help other writers compose a piece of literature. Writing will always contain discourse

community and is all around the world, writers will use this and have their own form of it, the

rhetoric strategies that they use will help to convey the message behind their writing and set them

apart through their use of discourse community.

According to Kain and Wardle, we are made up of a system that is constantly changing

over time and evolving with new technology (pg.397). The world is an activity system made up

of “tools, subjects, motives and social basis” that are frequently used. This theory is important
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because it helps to demonstrate “the context of a community and its tools.” Without this theory,

it would be difficult to understand why things are the way they are now, this theory allows

people to look further into why things developed into the way they are now. One of the examples

used was if a business student wanted to understand a certain format that is required, then they

would be able to go back and analyze the format that is needed, through the activity

theory. Technology may also represent this theory in the sense that it is constantly evolving and

changing the world we live in as well as expanding the world of literature, it may make it easier

for writers to expand their knowledge on other writers as well as take part in intertextuality to

further their own writing.

Discourse Communities are identified by people with a common goal, according to

Swales. However, according to Porter (1986), discourse communities are made up of other text,

defined as intertextuality. He states, that intertextuality is made up of a network where

writing has taken ideas from other sources (pg.544 of Writing about Writing). With this, Porter

claims that it is as if ideas or discourse has been borrowed over time. Authors are still able to

come up with their own discourse, however, the range of discourse is so large, that ideas may be

borrowed and altered to fit the discourse that is being described. This may also help authors to

further research or help expand and elaborate on an author’s claim that would be both beneficial

to both readers and writers.

According Boyd and Galzier (2017), as teaching program that is used to help individuals

with the goal of becoming educators, is identified as a discourse community. All of the students

in the course, share the same goal which is to become a teacher. The similarities between all the

members is the way that they participate is similar, varying from what they will feel comfortable

to react on. Using Swales characteristics, I do agree that this is a discourse community. All
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of these members are brought together to share the same goal of becoming a teacher in this

program. The tools that they use to make up the community must be shared in order for them to

be able to communicate. It is very similar to the atmosphere to a classroom, which may also be

described as a discourse community.

Methods

The primary research method that used in the class was the interview method. We

interviewed our sources to gather as much information as we can and relate the sources to our

discourse community.

Survey, we all participated in a scavenger hunt to help identify the sources in this class

room that help us to identify what makes this class room a discourse community.

Observation is used every day in the class, watching the professor teach the class

represents the characteristic of hierarchy. The levels of an education, beginning with being a

student, to the higher level of being the professor and teaching the classroom. We are constantly

using intercommunication in the classroom as well, it is how the students in the class

communicate with each other.

Discussion

The RWS 1301 class exhibits common public goals. According to Swales (1990), a

common public goal is a motive that groups of individuals share to reach a goal (p. 217). In

every classroom, a lot of students usually share very similar goals, ranging from a goal to turn in

assignments, or a goal to pass the class. In RWS 1301, most students in this class share the

common goal to be able to advance their writing techniques. Students want to be able to take

away from the class and expand their writing skills and be assured that they have become better

writers by the grade that is written on their papers. With those writing skills students will be able
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to complete assignments with little to no problem and help them to reach one of the other

common goals we share, to have a high letter grade as well as activity score. With all these

components, students will be able to learn how to express their ideas in a more professional

manor as well as have a presentable letter grade in the classroom. By all students sharing these

common goals, not only may they further their knowledge in the RWS 1301 class, but it may

help to further their writing skills and help them to score higher letter grades in their other

classes as well. The common public goal that is share between the students helps to demonstrate

that the RWS 1301 class is a discourse community.

Every class room demonstrates a form of intercommunication, according to Swales, it is

the way that ideas are shared and discussed (pg. 219). In the RWS 1301 classroom we exhibit a

discourse community by our use of intercommunication. The way the students and the

professor can express themselves and share ideas helps to demonstrate this claim. Tools such as

blackboard help students communicate with one another, certain assignments will require

students to write beliefs and claims of theirs and will also require students to respond to their

peers writing as well. Not only does intercommunication take place using technology, but

intercommunication is demonstrated during class time as well. Students will have to take part in

discussions in between lectures to help with understanding as well on elaboration on

the day's discussion. This can help students to get second opinions and help them to understand

ways that they can improve their writing, giving them the opportunity for a higher letter grade.

Without this main characteristic, the class would not be able to make up a discourse community.

Swales states that information and Feedback is a key element in a discourse community

(pg.218, 221), in RWS 1301, we exhibit a discourse community through the information and
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feedback that we give and receive in the class. Feedback plays a major role in the class,

after students submit a writing assignment, they are provided with feedback on that assignment

and can redo and resubmit the assignment. Without the feedback students would be stuck with

the writing grades they receive as well as have a lesser advantage of bettering their writing skills.

Information, when it comes to the information part of the class, we demonstrate this

characteristic by the information and instructions that the professor provides to students. A lot of

the class is based off information and feedback, with these key component's students can have an

easier time following along during class as well as completing assignments and turning them in.

Although the RWS class may fall under the genre of a writing class, according to Swales,

there is far more sub-genres within that identify it as more than just a writing class, but a

discourse community (pg.221). Normally we would not look at a laptop and think it classifies

into a sub-genre of some sort. In the RWS 1301 class, a student's laptop would fall into a genre

that helps identify the class as a discourse community. The laptop lets students submit

online assignments and share their beliefs and claims with the rest of the classroom and gives

them access to a lot of the course material that may not be discussed during class time, as well as

where students will keep a lot of their claims and beliefs that help to define the class as a

discourse community. A student's average notebook falls into a genre as well, it helps students

to keep track of what important information is given during class so that they may use later for

their work.

According to Swales, the way an individual may speak to a friend is far more different

than how they might speak to their professor (pg. 222), in RWS 1301, we are constantly using

academic English to better our writing in the class room. When it comes to proving claims and
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beliefs that students have, students need to learn how to use academic English. After every class,

students are required to submit a reflection of some sort, in there they exercise the practice of

using academic English. By the use of academic English, students are able to be taken more

serious because of their use of vocabulary. Not only do students practice academic English when

it comes to assignments, but they also practice it with something as simple as sending an email.

Students want their professors to take them seriously as well as have a good impression when

they think of them. Formatting an email properly and using the proper vocabulary is something

that most students practice.

The teaching system all starts where most people do, as students, in RWS 1301, we are

constantly observing a hierarchy. According to Swales, a hierarchy is a system that needs to be

demonstrated in a discourse community in order to be defined as one (pg. 222). In RWS 1301,

hierarchy is exemplified every day, the system of students and a professor demonstrates that. A

professor, representing one of the higher levels of an education and the students representing the

lowest stage of the system of education. A professor, who was once a student, is now teaching

the class and demonstrating the leveling up process. For a discourse community to be able to

function, there needs to be that higher power that is involved. The professor in this case would

demonstrate the higher power to the students and support the claim that the RWS 1301 a

discourse community.

Discourse Communities are all over literature. According to Swales, writers and authors

are constantly barrowing ideas from one in order to form a piece of literature (pg.221). Through

the use of a discourse community, they are able to see the work of others and share and borrow

ideas from one another, which is known as intertextuality. Intertextuality is a part of the

discourse community and is the idea that there is no true original source, authors are constantly
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borrowing ideas from each other to help expand their piece of literature. The discourse

community part of literature allows authors to gather information and ideas to help their work

flow and help the writing process to be easier. It is also very important that literature classifies as

a discourse community to help new writers in their process, a discourse community makes up

any form of information and literature falls into that category.

Discourse communities are any system that allows ideas to be spread and help to elaborate

on any stated beliefs, the RWS 1301 class exemplifies a discourse community very accurately.

All characteristics are used in the classroom to help create a discourse community that students

are able to benefit from. Allowing them to share their ideas with one another as well as receive

feedback to help better their writing and expand their knowledge.

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References

Elliott, C., Dewland, J., Martin, J. R., Kramer, S., & Jackson Sr., J. J. (2017). Collaborate and

innovate: The impact of academic librarians on the commercialization of university

technology. Journal of Library Administration, 57(1), 36-48.

doi:10.1080/01930826.2016.1215674

Kain, D. Wardle E. (2002 ). Activity Theory: An Introduction for the Writing Classroom.

Writing about Writing, 395-406

Porter, J. (1986). Intertextuality and the discourse community.Rhetoric Review vol. 5, 34-47.

Swales, J. (1990). “The Concept of Discourse Community,” Genre Analysis: English in

Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 21–32. Print.
Writing about Writing, 215-228