A discourse community refers to a group of people or communicators who share a common goal or interest and therefore choose to go by a selected way of participating in public activities. These people also have a way of engaging that distinctively sets them aside from the larger group of people in a particular setting (Bakhtin66). The preferred way of engagement is commonly referred to as discursive practices. These are the practices that a discourse community chooses to use and they include various genres. These genres can be books, academic papers, debates and even physical activities. In Oklahoma University, there are various discourse communities that can be isolated from each other and this depends on the discursive practices that they engage in. the discourse community also is formed by the courses that people do and therefore they are bound to act and do things they do not because they choose to but because the courses they do because in a way they define them and therefore put them in these discourse communities. One such discourse community that I am going to talk about is defined by their course, that is the African and African American Studies discourse community.
While observing the going on in this disciplinary community, it is evident that the community is composed of persons whose major interest surrounds the evolving of the African American community from back in the day when slavery was rife to present day America where blacks are cushioned by the constitution and are regarded as equal to everyone else. This means that this community is mainly interested and talk about the milestones that the black community has reached over the years which have led to what is basically seen today (Bizzell 13). This does not just stop at talking about that but engaging in other activities that they use in ensuring that both learners and the faculty continuously get to talk about the subject both in and out of the classroom. The major concern of this discourse community is to ensure that everyone understands that people appreciate each other within and across all boundaries, within and outside the university. This goes beyond OU setting and into the entire American society.
The genre characteristic of this discourse community covers the history of the African Americans. Some of the major areas that characterize it include the early African literature which spans the period of slavery. On the other hand, there are the slavery narratives which have formed the basis of much of the literature that are used in their studies. Spiritual narratives are also a particular area or genre that gives the picture of how the slaves used spirituality as a way of comforting themselves away from the hardships that they were going through. Aside from that, much of their studies are geared towards the post slavery era and also the Harlem Renaissance. There are also other areas of concern which are included in the studies of recent African American history not forgetting the era of the civil rights movement. In totality, the genre that is covered by these studies trace back to the arrival of the black slaves in the American peninsula all the way to what is presently happening today. This means that this discourse community covers a wide range of courses which make it very interesting and rich with historical facts.
All students and everyone in the department get immersed in the rich history of the black American population. This means that once a student is admitted into the faculty, they are helped to understand what it means to be an African in America and this understanding spans throughout history. Their language of communication is therefore geared towards digging into facts trying to understand the content and subject matter of their studies. The faculty members are always at their side to help the students learn. This basically means that the students and the faculty share a common language which serves as an eye opener into the world. This is true because all of them delve into understanding the language, the practices and everything about the African American experiences throughout the decades. The subject content that is used involves the use of different theoretical approaches, and terminologies that distinguish this community from the rest of the Oklahoma University as is evident through how their study is conducted. These theoretical approaches are aimed at making the students understand the rich black history to empower students and the faculty to develop African centered thoughts
The AFAM disciplinary community employs the use of a language that everyone understands in regard to the discipline, this is the language of the African culture and aesthetics. The discipline is rich with people from different cultural groups who have been drawn and put together by the interests of understanding the paradigms of the Black history. The most important thing in the discourse is that the truth is put bear for the purposes of study. The learners are tasked to approach the course with an open mind without any form of bias. This way, they are drawn to the real facts of the black history no matter how harsh the past realities are. At AFAM, everyone is encouraged to give their perspectives about what they think and know, by taking part in group discussions and activities so as to encourage student integration because all these students come from different backgrounds and therefore need to be given room to interact and bring in their input from their understanding. It is therefore not the professor to lecture affair. It is an all inclusive affair where everyone is entitled to making a contribution aimed at making the learning process interesting. The practicality of the learning process is that the learners get a chance to integrate and interact with each other and with the course through sharing.
Also, there are outfits and clothing that is recognizable to Africa. It does not come as a surprise that most of the faculty members especially those of African decent adorning them. One example is the use of dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are predominantly known to be a hairstyle that is prevalent among Africans because among many other reasons, their hair texture goes well with them. You will therefore find some of the students undertaking AFAM donning them. Upon observation some members from that department put on cloths which are known to be liked or preferred by Africans. This makes members of that community stand out. So therefore, apart from their verbal exchanges and way of learning, their physical appearance speaks volumes about them in and outside the Oklahoma University community. They preach out the gospel that a discourse community within a given place cannot be defined only through their activities in regard to the community but physical appearance can be used to define a discourse community( Bernstein 44).
The language of communication within this discourse is normally English as it is the main language of communication. It is laced with jargon that is rich with words and terminologies that is purely used in these circles and not other areas within the university. Almost every single course is described using terms that are connotative of Africa which is a clear pointer that these courses are all about Africa and the African culture. These courses range from those that describe the contemporary issues that affect African Americans to their historical background and even aesthetics. The language that is used can be said to be completely African. It is no doubt that the students and the faculty at large feels at home when all they talk about are those things that are completely African. The oral presentations by the students on the other hand are a common phenomenon and it helps the students and the faculty express themselves with regard to what they know after conducting their personal studies. This way, they are able to share that which they know and learn from each other. At least, discussions in this department are part and parcel of learning and oral presentations are that part of study and learning that makes the students ‘participate in the teaching and learning process. Their use of language rich with the terminologies that distinguish them from the rest of the Oklahoma University community is evidently heard in their conversations.
Normally, a discourse community defines who a person is. In all aspects of life a person may belong to several discourse communities but when it comes to academics, whatever academic path someone has chosen, it is no doubt the one that defines that person ( Bennett 24). This applies to the AFAM community in Oklahoma University. These members share a language that they understand, mannerisms that they display are also similar not forgetting the fact that attitude and activities they do are also similar. Also, one of the things that define this community is the cultural activities involved. This is done by displaying the activities and cultural practices that are distinct to the African people. So there are those times in the course of the semester that they hold presentations depending on the courses they they do. This among many other activities indeed brings them out as more of a cultural community rather than students and lectures. Indeed, the AFAM discourse community is one that stands out and identifiable among the very many discourse communities found in Oklahoma University. It is a community that can even be identified by a newcomer or visitor within the campus premises due to the fact that this group conducts itself in a way that no other community does. It is no surprise that the personal attributes and character traits will come second to the character they display in regard to their academic discourse. Indeed the AFAM discourse community is one that is rich with African aesthetics (Bizzell 34).
Works Cited
ACT Policy Report. (2002).School Relationships Foster Success for African American Students. (ReportNumber 050802040). Iowa City, IA: George Wimberly.
Bakhtin, Michael. (1986). Speech Genres and Other Late Essays. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Bennett, Adrian. (1991). Discourses of Power, the Dialectics Of Understanding, The Power Of Literacy. In C. Mitchell & K. Weiler (Eds.), Rewriting Literacy: Culture and the Discourse of The Other (pp.13-33). New York: Bergin & Garvey.
Bernstein, Basil. Class, Codes, and Control: The Structuring Of Pedagogic Discourse. Vol 4. London: Routledge. 1990
Bizzell, Patricia. Academic Discourse and Critical Consciousness. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. 1992
