Blog # 5

Today in class we were able to come to the conclusion that our class compared to our school, English majors and English writing majors was the strongest discourse community. After seeing the results of our data, our class which is the smallest of the discourse communities we discussed, had the strongest opportunity to be a discourse community. We spoke about possible reasons for this result, one of them being that the smaller the discourse the more of an established discourse it was. Another theory of how we could prove our data is that a class is made for a particular reason, for people to choose to take for their own personal reasons. A classroom has all the same goals and genres and mechanisms that everyone must meet. Compared to a college or an English major or writing major people can choose to do anything, although there are guidelines for each there is still room for differences. There are many students in college achieving different things, and there are many English majors also on different paths, but when it comes to a classroom everyone is following the same guidelines.

             I feel that two of swales categories have a major impact on of a community can be considered a discourse. For instance, a discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. Every discourse community communicates in their own way. Whether it be required or independently, looking at our data this category has the lowest numbers due to the fact that every community has its own was of communication. Another category I would consider to be critical is: a discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. Similar to the mechanisms this goal of Swales has to do with communication in a form of feedback. Whether you are giving it or receiving it there are guidelines that will provide right from wrong. This has resulted to be very different within the discourse communities. These findings changed my view of discourse communities. It is safe to say that my perception of a discourse community was not accurate before taking this course. My general understanding of discourse communities has evolved with this information and I am now able to understand that it takes effort and a tight night community to be considered a discourse. Is that all that a discourse community is made up of? Is there more to a discourse than what Swales suggests?