Introduction to Discourse Communities

Quote 1: “Indeed, many types of discourse communities develop shorthand expressions, such as abbreviations and acronyms, to aid speed of communication. Members of such groups can be of different nationalities, ages, and occupations, and can differ quite considerably in their economic circumstances and educational backgrounds” (Swales, page 6/paragraph 15).

• Analysis- In order to share information or communicate our thoughts/feelings, we as human beings find alternate ways to spread our beliefs or ideas. Everyone may not have the same way of going about this, but as long as one’s voice is being represented or noticed, then it doesn’t matter how we communicate. According to this quote, people who are part of discourse communities find different ways to communicate their thoughts. This can be through hand gestures, abbreviations, acronyms, images, etc. These forms of communication may not seem right for everyone, but it only matters if you as an individual understand the content that’s being shared with you. This quote relates to me because I am part of college, and this is a discourse community. At New York City College of Technology, the students here abbreviate the name of the college as City Tech, which would be unfamiliar to individuals who don’t attend this college.

Quote 2: “As we move from one DC to another, our verbal and social behavior adapts to the new environment, but I do not believe that this necessarily implies that we adopt new identities, or that we are somehow merely an aggregation of different personae” (Swales, page 7/paragraph 19).

• Analysis- When reading this quote, I feel that being part of a discourse community can factor into someone’s identity depending on the expectations of a specific discourse community. For example, professional athletes are told to behave in a proper manner and they have to be seen as role models to the people who watch them. However, their behaviors may shift when they’re out in public. Their identity can change depending on the environment and the people who they are with. In a different case, when these athletes go home to their families, they don’t always act the same way like they do with their teammates or coaches. At home they sometimes take on the role as being a caregiver, parent, and spouse. This may not be the same for other individuals, but some people do try to adopt new identities.

• Family represents the first discourse community that I participated in because my parents were the ones who taught me the difference between right from wrong, and they were the first ones who I communicated with. My parents taught me the idea of treating people the way you want to treated, putting God first above everything, doing good deeds will bring about happiness, etc. The basic moral principles that I learned were from my parents. They taught me about religion and the traditions that we must follow in Hinduism. The way that we communicated with each other is by speaking Hindi, Dutch, or English. We also communicate via text messages or phone calls.
• College is a second discourse community that I’m a part of, and this consists of students and professors. People who attend college strive to achieve a successful career while trying to expand their knowledge. In college, students are told to earn high grades, complete all homework assignments, be on time to class, respect their professors and peers, turn off any cellular devices, be prepared to take notes, study for exams, etc. The way that students communicate with their professors is by using emails, Zoom, CUNY BlackBoard, etc.
• Instagram is a social media platform where people can form online communities. I participate in this discourse community people it helps me communicate with individuals who don’t live in America. Instagram allows me to find my close friends so that I can add them to my friends list. I can also like, share, and comment below videos and photos that my friends post; there isn’t a formal way of writing on this platform. Furthermore, I can watch Instagram live videos, Instagram TV, and stories. However, Instagram requires its audience to follow its community guidelines. The platform demands its followers to avoid spamming, bullying or harassing individuals, posting misleading content/false information, sale of illegal goods, posting violent images/videos, etc.