In our lives, we often spend time with people for multiple reasons, but a common thing that draws people together is a shared goal or interest. This is an example of a discourse community that is found in our everyday lives. A discourse community can be defined as a group of people who have a shared goal or interest, and contribute to those via communication. For example, a discourse community can be a group of college students studying the same or similar majors, giving them similar interests and goals, or as we discussed in class, a group of friends who each lunch together and like each other’s presence and share similar interests.
When discussing discourse communities in greater detail, John Swaley’s “The Concept of Discourse Community” breaks down six major aspects of what make up a discourse community. First, a community has a clear goal each member shares and wants to achieve, like each getting a degree in say, liberal arts. Second, the discourse members have their own shared experiences, like going through similar classes or work training. Third, the discourse members exchange information with each other and provide help to other members of their specific community. Fourth, the discourse has similar skills and knows how to do similar things, like how to finish a specific task. Fifth, the discourse uses a similar language and understands the same language and ways of speaking. Finally, discourse members have varying levels of knowledge and experience on the experiences and goals they share.
When it comes to a discourse community I am involved with, I work at my local YMCA at the front desk, where I create memberships, register members from programs, give tours of the facility, and answer general questions about the YMCA. Me and my coworkers all share the experience of working at the YMCA, we all use specific language in relation to our work, and we each record information based on members and what they register for. We all share similar goals at the YMCA, and we communicate with each other in order to achieve those goals.
A discourse community is made up of people who each have a similar motivation and each work to fulfill that goal by interacting and communicating with each other. To conclude, these communities allow people with similar goals to make friendships and help each other achieve these goals by interacting and helping each other.
Leave a Reply