One of the more hotly debated topics on social media in recent times has been the concept of discourse. Beyond how the term discourse is usually used, ie: some type of drama or widespread talk of an issue in a specific community, discourse communities and discourse are much older and more in-depth than they first appear. Discourse also hides the more subtle necessity of literacy. To know how navigate discourse in any community is to learn the language of that community. In doing so, like I have with my many fandoms, you become part of the discourse community, and gain the needed literacy in the intricacies of the group. Make no mistake: literacy does not only apply to words and writing – it applies to everything, from situational awareness to how we interact with each other.
Overview
James Paul Gee’s Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics and Carmen Luke’s Pedagogy, connectivity, multimodality and interdisciplinarity cover this need for literacy nicely. Gee even says explicitly why it’s so important, positing that “a Discourse is a sort of “identity kit” which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions…to take on a particular role that others will recognize.” Every community is a discourse community – so it stands that every community has its own rules and expectations. Personally, I have found this to be equally gratifying and challenging to keep up with. Us psychologists, for instance, tend to dress very formally and work with the expectation of research projects.
A less formal community, like a fandom, bandom, or hobby group, may base the structure on what the content is. In the Minecraft fandom our structure comes from the expectations of the content creators we follow. In the Twitch community, I and many others hold the silent expectation that a newcomer will watch and learn before interacting. Luke mentions a similar standard, saying “…we need to acknowledge the fluidity and plurality of young people’s engagements with new media and the simultaneous, often overlapping, decoding, production and interactional contexts in which they routinely engage.” Most informal communities are based on watching as much as interacting. Since most are online, there are more chances to gain literacy in the community before you start participating.
Types of Discourse
Although discourse is widespread, what is not so widespread is the categorical differences in types. This knowledge proves itself essential time and time again. As such, the basics of discourse break down into levels. According to Gee, there are four types. First, primary discourse: that’s knowledge you learn from your immediate community, like your family. Second, of course, there’s secondary discourse, which is learned outside the immediate community, like school, or after-school activities. Both important, and both something most have experienced in their lives.
After those two come dominant and non-dominant discourses. Dominant discourse is base knowledge, a form of secondary discourse we learn in order to advance socially. How to write academic papers in college or how to navigate office culture at a job serve as functional examples. Non-dominant discourse centers on secondary discourse that allows us to grow in community. Hobbies, volunteering, and friendship groups fall under this. Cliques in high school, board game clubs, knitting circles – all non-dominant, but they are massively important in learning how the world works at large.
Discourse Communities and Literacy
Discourse communities and discourse go hand-in-hand.
I was homeschooled – and I mention this because I had minimal exposure to dominant discourse for most of my formative years. Unlike the stereotype, I wasn’t isolated. I had hobbies, did community theater, even volunteered at the library. But the formal learning that happens in school – how to navigate heavy workloads, how to cope with stress, most forms of academics – I didn’t learn. That made my transition to college far more difficult than it needed to be.
At 18, I had to learn from scratch what it was to be a student, a psychologist, a real, non-toxic friend. My primary discourse hadn’t prepared me at all. I had homemaking skills, not academic ones. The kind of literacy I needed and eventually learned was hard-won. Now I know, and the older I get the more I realize how much easier it is to integrate into new communities once you have practice at it. Failing with grace as I learn the language and customs of any new group is a skill I am determined to learn, if only for the sake of my own ego.
All communities have stumbling blocks as you learn. Being literate in specific terms, fashions, or so called “iceberg knowledge” comes with time. But it is not unattainable.
Class Homepage: https://eng2020.chrisfriend.us/
My other article: https://eng2020.chrisfriend.us/blog/why-study-writing/fieldsna/can-you-teach-general-writing/
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