Investigating a Discourse Community

(1,200-word minimum)

First Draft Due (for peer review): September 25, 2020

Second Draft Due (for evaluation): September 29, 2020

Assignment

We have read (or will read soon) and thought about the concept of a discourse community. We have also read (or will read soon) work by several authors who engage the idea of discourse communities (Douglass, Wollstonecraft, Kothari, and Ocasio-Cortez). In our work thus far, we have examined the way these works are shaped by audience, purpose, content, and tone.

For this assignment, you will pick an issue or problem that is important to one of your discourse communities. Then you will do the following:

  1. Research the problem you have identified, its solutions, and what has already been done to address the issue at hand. You will be doing mostly internet-based research; however, you may also find it useful to interview people involved with the problem. Find three or four relevant sources: make sure your sources are reliable, keep track of them, and take notes.
  2. Write a speech or letter to someone (or a group) outside of your discourse community (DC).  Keep in mind your audience and how they may perceive you. For example, in the case of Douglass, Wollstonecraft, and Ocasio-Cortez, they know their audience sees them as less powerful and of a lower status. Think about your position in relation to your audience, and use Douglass, Wollstonecraft, or Ocasio-Cortez as a model. Write a speech or letter that calls attention to a problem or issue that is central to your DC.

Things to keep in mind:

  • Your goal is to make your audience respect the issue you are raising and to see it from your perspective. Remember, your audience does not necessarily know or understand your point of view; they may not even consider what you are discussing to be a problem. Or they may understand what you are raising, but perhaps they have a different perspective on the issue.
  • Give specific examples and details to illustrate the issue.
  • Persuade your reader that they should care about your community and its problem.
  • This is a letter or speech and, therefore, a particular genre with conventions attached to it. Make sure you follow the conventions related to this genre.
  • You are writing to a specific discourse community and you must navigate their particular values, beliefs and ways of communicating in order to maintain their attention. Therefore, keep your audience in mind as you make writing choices.
  • Make sure to properly cite any research you include in your piece.

How will this be graded?

  • Your audience and genre is clear.
  • Your tone and diction are appropriate for your audience.
  • You give a specific reason(s) as to why your audience should care about your issue.
  • You submit your assignment on time.
  • Your letter or speech is approximately 1,200 words.
  • You proofread carefully.