Communication within Discourse Communities
Discourse, from Latin discursus, means written and spoken communications. According to Michel Foucault, discourse is a series of signs because they form statements and reports in an organization. As a discourse, a statement is a construct that is aided by semiotic signs to give meanings. Therefore, discourse entails statements, subjects and objects that form the semiotic series.
A people who share certain interests imply a discourse community. In so doing, the group has a common language through which they communicate. A log is another way in which how something is said or written and can be just as important as the meaning of the message (Sergeant, 2010, p. 50). We communicate with one another, either by email, telephone, face to face; however, the language and communication method we use will vary depending on the discourse community. A genre refers to the category of something for example songs or forms of art. An illustration of that can be seen in music. An example of a genre can be rock music. A genre can be seen in literature as the plot or synopsis that describes the whole story. A genre is a description of the orientation of something for example a story.
1. It has broadly approved asset of collective public goals. This is easy to explain for Drivers has goals—they have the mechanisms of living safely as neighbors and can move from destination to destination
2. It has mechanisms of intercourse among their members. That is we communicate through the phone (phone being the device of interaction), we send and reply to emails for everyone in a community; we have meetings. Every form of communication that aids the “inter” part of intercommunication fits the bill here.
3. It primarily uses participatory mechanisms to provide information and response. For example, blogs are often used for feedbacks, as are mails and meetings. Other writings, like a newsletter, would also be used for information.
4. There are a certain number of memberships that is recommended for a discourse. The smallest level of introduction into the group is a learner. After the introduction, the members may be separated involuntarily or by death (Swales, 27). When there are fewer experts to inform learners or fewer students to move on, the community will cease to exist. The ratio depends on the community though functionality is reduced, some communities can survive with few members while others cannot. For example, a class can exist with two members; a rugby team, on the other hand, cannot survive with fewer than seven members.
5. It uses and owns genres in the informative maintenance of its goals. The main dominant genre used is drawings. Artists give impressions on what they have in their mind through drawings. The aspect that is involved here is the same as that applied in the magazines and blogs. The sites act a good source of information for the people who have links with the surrounding areas like public schools.
6. Lastly, it refers to a community’s way of life or a jargon through which they construct meanings. Jargon is a is used in a particular setting and may not be well understood outside of it. Footballers, for example, have a specific lexis used to explain moves and techniques. Drivers have a specific lexis that refers to driving techniques, vehicle parts, and equipment. Every community has its lexis.
Communication in these groups depends on some factors. The size of the group, communication is faster and effective in small groups compared to large ones. I belong to many discourse communities; these include being a student, a swimmer, and a football fan. In my swimming team, for example, communication is fast because t of the small number of participants. On the other hand, communication to my school members tends to be challenging because of the large number. Communication is more effective in discourse communities with fewer as compared to those with many members.
The learners or beginners face difficulties in joining and fitting in my discourse communities, my class, as it is in many others. The challenges come because the students are experiencing this for the first time. The most common problem is communication; beginners are not used to jargon hence communication barrier emerges. Code of conduct is another challenge, in most cases the beginners’ do not know what is expected of them. In some cases, when there is a change of codes of conduct, the people who have been in the communities for extended are cases where they are conservatives.
Authority is the right, or entitlement given to a person to achieve the objectives of a group. It entails the ability to control and direct others to make things happen. It is the right to give orders and exert obedience (Henri Fayol, 2005, pg. 225). Getting tings doneIncludes the right to take decisions, to command or give orders to the subordinates and to get obedience from them. It can also be defined as positional power. In a discourse community, the person with the highest position is the one who has more authority. There are three types of power arecharismatic, traditional and rational-legal. Either of these can be in discourse communities. In the swimming team, the person who has authority is the captain whom we elect after a period. In the class, there are class representatives, but when the lecturer is present, he has the authority. Authority can be delegateddownwards; that is the person who has authority can appoint a representative. All this is done by use of the text genre.
In all discourse communities for one to fit comfortably, they must understand the code of conduct and learn the jargon. In my swimming team, for example, new members train hard to perfect their skills and speed. They try to befriend the existing members to learn from them. The most challenging thing for new members is learning the jargon, this because some words in are not from their native language. In many discourse communities when the beginners from a large number of participants the jargon changes. This means the learners will find it hard to internalize and use some words, because of their large number replace them.
Interaction and learning are becoming more pluralistic thanks to “multiliteracies”, which refers to the dualfeatures of the current language use (Swales, 28). Scenarios where people have multi;lingual ca prove to be better area and platforms where poeople can develop. Teaching should embrace the national values so the generation does not become extinct. Teaching entails making the learners to be acquainted with the information that is taught in class. As a result, change should be made in education so that it conserves what is already there even if it means bringing change.
In my discourse communities, the commonly used multiliteracy is the use of visual basics and videos in learning. New members used videos of earlier participants to boost their skill and correct their mistakes. In the case of jargons, beginners use the internet to learn the meaning of challenging words. Many events regarding these groups are communicated online. In some cases, electing new leaders is done online, informing people about the groups and marketing their products if any. This can be done using videos, pictures or songs. Some of the participants of the group are stereotyped by beginners and other members. In my swimming team, for example, there are those swimmers who have perfect strokes; beginners always tend to adopt their training schedules. They do this by imitating them, asking for training tips from them or even accompanying them for extra training. These participants are stereotyped because of their outstanding performances and achievements.
Communication is imperative in discourse communities as it determines their success. Different discourse communities use different genres in communication. Some use writings, paintings, and video. If there are barriers of communication among the members goals will not be achieved. The induction process of beginners will not be possible. Hence, the communities will not continue to exist. Therefore, this communities value their communication methods as any interference can cost them a lot.
In conclusion, it is clear that in every setting of our lives we are members of certain discourse communities. These communities shape our behaviors and way of doing things. An individual has the choice of a discourse group in the same setting simultaneously. For example, a lecturer furthering his studies is a student, a teacher, and a parent. Discourse communities vary a lot even when they are in the same environment. That is the codes of conduct and jargon varies from one discourse community to another. In communication, all discourse communities involve genre. That is participants when communicating to members or non-members use either type of style. The use of different typerelies heavily on the mood of the participants and the message they intend to send. Discourse communities there are dependent onkinds in the day-to-day activities. For one to fit comfortably in a discoursegroup, he must learn codes of conduct and the jargon. For a discourse community to continue to move on the ratio number of beginners to experts in must be suitable. That is there should not be fewer experts or beginners.
Works Cited
Andersen, Jack. Genre Theory in Information Studies. 2015. I
Bennett, Karen. The Semiperiphery of Academic Writing: Discourses, Communities, and Practices. , 2014.
Miller, C. R.Genre as a Social Action - 1984
Swales John Malcolm. The Concept of a Discourse Community- 1987
Wilder, Laura. Rhetorical Strategies and Genre Conventions in Literary Studies: Teaching and Writing in the Disciplines. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2012. Print.
Wuthnow, Robert. Communities of Discourse: Ideology and Social Structure in the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and European Socialism. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1989.
