Notes on “Reflections on the Concept of Discourse Community” by John Swales
Reflections on the Concept of Discourse Community
A discourse community provides socio-rhetorical context for academic genres.
- A trio of interlocking concepts including genre and language-learning tasks.
Discourse community: a group of people who share a set of discourses, understood as basic values & assumptions, and ways of communicating their goals.
Six defining characteristics:
1. Has a broadly agreed set of common public goals
2. Has mechanisms of intercommunication among members
3. Uses its participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback
4. Utilizes and possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims
5. In addition to owning genres, it has acquired specific lexis
6. Has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise
- A diverse and heterogenous group
- Influences and influenced by larger communities they are in
- View studies in an overly idealistic lens
3 types of discourse communities
Local discourse communities: Groupings of people who all work at the same place or have the same occupation in the same area. They have similar expectations and value systems.
- Three subtypes: residential, vocational, and occupational.
Focal discourse community: Associations that reach across a region, a nation, or internationally.
- They can be formal or informal.
- They are shorthand expressions.
- They are diverse but come together because of a hobby or recreational activities.
- Aided by technology.
- There are professional kinds as well.
“Folocal” discourse communities: characteristics of both focal and local discourse communities; a double allegiance.
- Local mannerisms but national instructions
- Centripetal and Centrifugal
People are typically members of more than one, but we do not adopt different identities in different discourse communities.
Reconsidered Discourse Community (DC) 6 criteria
1. A DC has a broadly agreed set of common public goals
- A DC is a potentially discoverable set of goals. It is not necessarily utopian.
2. A DC has mechanisms of intercommunication among members
- This characteristic is true, but the communication is digital.
3. A DC uses its participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback
- Instead, it should initiate actions and activities.
4. A DC utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims
- A DC is an evolving section of genres to further goals and instantiating participatory mechanisms.
5. In addition to owning genres, it has acquired some specific lexis
- A DC is acquired and continues to refine DC-specific terms. Uses abbreviations, shortcuts, and various codes.
6. A DC has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise
- There is a hierarchy that manages entry and advancement in the DC.
NEW: 7. A DC develops a sense of “silential relations”:
- There is a sense of things that do not need to be said.
NEW: 8. A DC develops horizons of expectation:
- There are rhythms of activity. They have a sense of history and value systems.
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