For Project 1, you’ll write about two different discourse communities: one in your life that offers you feel a sense of belonging, and one here at City Tech or in your major that you can reflect on whether you belong in it or not.
In a comment here, add a brainstorm about one or both of these discourse communities. You might write about what the community is, what its features are, what it offers you in terms of your identity or a sense of belonging, or any other thoughts you have for this project.
Photo Credit:
“Quilt of Belonging” by andres musta via Flickr under the license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed
Devon 
Aniyam 
YOUSOUFU JALLOH 
Nalah E
25 Comments
Add Yours →I feel like as a teen I feel mostly devoted to the railway community. It’s mostly about Trains, Railroads, Metros, a lot of transportation stuff is involved in this community, and we put it a lot more into detail than average commuters, we go through the lore of trains and public transportation. I love trains, so I am glad to be a part of this community.
Hi Devon–I hope you liked my example of the R211 that didn’t have an open gangway (R211A) today in class. I was so glad that it made sense to you and was a good example for everyone!
I feel like a discourse community that I’m apart of is the gym. I’ve been in this community for a good year now and I like helping people. I sometimes help people who are beginners since at one point, I was like them. It makes me feel happy even though I’m a shy person at times. I also discuss about how to feel some of these exercises and how to get better.
I love that you have moved into the role of the expert or mentor! Do you think that comes from your confidence in what you do at the gym, or in how you talk about what you do at the gym? Could be both…
I think a type of community I feel like I always belong in is a photography community. I’m always involved with a lot of events that requires a photographer or needs a photographer to be present.
What I love about this example, Eddy, is that so many people take photos, but not everyone does it in the way a photographer does and with that skill, those goals, and the technical language. Have you taken photo classes here at City Tech, and is that how you developed the language and skill for photography?
A discourse community I feel I am apart of is the nail tech community. This community is about the art of nails. This community has 3 main sub-communities based on how you create the foundation of the nail; gel x, acrylic, and poly-gel, and these sub-communities are broken down further based on what the nail tech’s preferred design style is. This community always keeps me intrigued because there’s always a new nail trend, product, and technique to learn or buy.
It’s great that you mention trends in the field–such an important point! How do you stay up to date on nail trends? I imagine you know who to follow on Instagram and Tik Tok, but are there other places you go to keep up? We should all think about how we learn and keep current in our own discourse community analyses!
I feel like a discourse community that I’m apart of is soccer. I’ve been in this community since middle school now I do feel like going pro but to do dat I will have to go to Europe cause that where the big leagues are.although I do feel like going I can’t just rely on dreams to make it so my alternative was to go school to archive something just incase my dreams don’t come true . I play CM I.e center midfielder. I also discuss with my friends which teams are going to become champions in the league.
Ayo, do you think there is a different discourse community among players in a position to try out for professional soccer vs amateur players vs fans who don’t necessarily play? I see crossovers for each, especially in shared language, but I wonder how much the different goals matter in differentiating the three groups.
Also–wow that you’re considering going pro!
A discourse community that I consider myself to be apart of is the baseball community. Fell in love with in the game since 2017 and from that point on I made it my best interest trying to understand the game and having fun going to games filling up the seats along with every other baseball fan whiles also even helping my bestfriends out with their parlays.
Like I was asking Ayo about different discourse communities in the soccer world, do you think that baseball fans have a different discourse community than people who bet on baseball? Maybe they’re two overlapping discourse communities, like a Venn diagram.
I am definitely in the baseball fan discourse community, too, but sometimes I hear fellow fans talk and don’t know the terms they use or the people they refer to, and I realize how vast the field is and how sometimes even in a topic you know well, you feel like you have to fake it. Not specific to baseball fandom, or fandom, but just to any discourse community–there are levels of knowledge, investment, and experience.
I feel that for me, I am more devoted to the gaming community. I get a pique of interest in a game that is on the rise and trending, look into the game and see what it is about. Along with seeing the community around said certain game. Everyone in this discourse community has diversity, their way of playing, and what type of games they like. With that in mind, I get content that there can be people who have the same interests as me, of course, which is based on the type of game we’re all into. Without this being the main community I’m in, I don’t know where I’d be, and this community gained me some friends who I contact via social media obviously. With that in mind, I am glad to be a part of this discourse community.
I would say that I’m apart of the beauty discourse, it does give me a sense of peace and knowing what I’m talking about when I’m doing it. It’s something I could relate to someone who has a mutual interest in beauty like myself. Also, gives me a space to learn more about something I never knew from someone else who is into beauty. The other discourse community i’m slowing moving into is fashion, although my major is fashion and business, I don’t think at times I fit in. When it comes to my knowledge of fashion knowledge, I feel like I’m lacking in that area, with designers and who made what. Hearing people who say they’re apart of the fashion community, they’re very strict on where you should get your clothes from and who to shop from. I also feel like there’s a lot of networking in that particular community, I’m a very shy person. So as of right now I’m reserved and cling to those I’m already familiar with.
I’ve been involved in the soccer world since I was a teenager. This community goes well beyond casual fans who only watch weekend games or big games. We discuss tactical formations, talk transfer market complications, and debate past matches and players. From researching individual player stats to appreciating difficulty of the game, we interact with soccer at a much deeper level than casual watchers. YJ
A discourse community that I feel part of is my work place, which is a supermarket. In this community we share a common interest which is make the store run in the best way possible. This community offers me friendships, dedication for my work, we share a common language, happy moments and others not so much.I have been there for over a year and its been an amazing experience.
Thanks for sharing this, Chantal. I can see how you and your co-workers can be a community. Do you think that you are in a discourse community only with the workers at your location, or do you think the DC would include workers at other supermarket locations, and across different supermarket companies? In the example from Perri Klass, she seemed to generalize about the medical profession, but I wonder if people working in a different hospital or a hospital in a different region would use the same abbreviations and have the same need for them. What do you think about your community–does it expand beyond your one location?
One discourse community that offers me a strong sense of belonging is the hairstyling community. I have always had a deep passion for doing hair, and it has become more than just a skill—it’s a creative outlet that brings me joy and fulfillment. Whether I’m braiding, installing wigs, or trying out new styles, I find a sense of ease and happiness in the process. Hairstyling allows me to express myself artistically while also making others feel confident and beautiful. I love the transformation that comes with doing hair, not just in appearance but in the way people carry themselves afterward. Seeing someone smile and feel good about their look because of my work is incredibly rewarding. When you look good, you feel good. Whenever I’m bored, I naturally gravitate toward doing hair, whether it’s for a friend, a family member, or even just experimenting on my own. It gives me something productive and enjoyable to do, and it never feels like a chore.
Another discourse community I feel a strong sense of belonging in is the health science major. This field has introduced me to a wealth of knowledge and new experiences that continue to shape my academic and professional journey. Being part of this community has allowed me to deepen my understanding of the human body, medical concepts, and the scientific principles that contribute to healthcare. One of the most exciting aspects of being a health science major is the opportunity to take higher-level biology courses. These classes challenge me to think critically and apply what I learn to real-world situations. From studying anatomy and physiology to understanding complex biological processes, I have gained a newfound appreciation for how fascinating the human body is. Beyond the classroom, health science also involves hands-on tasks that bring learning to life. Whether it’s conducting experiments in a lab, working with scientific equipment, or applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, these experiences make my studies more engaging and rewarding. The hands-on aspect of health science helps bridge the gap between textbook learning and real-world application, preparing me for a future in healthcare administration.
tiffani, I’m so glad that you took the time to think about both discourse communities–this will help you as you begin to draft Project 1! You might want to think about moments when you realized that, for either, this was a community you fit into, that you had the knowledge and the know-how to speak as a member of the community.
I’m curious if you see crossover between your interests in beauty/hair and in healthcare–do you imagine yourself working in a job that combines both, or do you see them as separate interests?
A discourse community I feel like I belong in is sports but specifically basketball. I have been playing basketball for a long time and so have multiple of my family members. I mostly play with my brothers and friends who are very good at it which makes us all competitive. Although I gave up on trying to make the NBA a long time ago I still watch it and play it for fun to because I just love all the things in the game. Watching my little brother who will also be going to college soon play basketball for his school and continuously shows his dedication to the sport also makes me happy.
I feel like one discussion community that I’m a part of is the programming community. I started learning to program a semester ago at university, and although I found it very difficult at first, little by little I’ve come to understand more. Sometimes I get frustrated when my code doesn’t work, but I like that there’s always a classmate willing to help me and that thanks to that I’ve made several new friends. I also like to share small advances with my classmates and discuss different ways to solve a problem. Although I still consider myself a beginner, it motivates me to see how much I’ve learned in such a short time and to know that there’s much more to discover.
I honestly am not a part of a special/specific discourse community. So I would say my discourse community is my friends, talking/venting to each other about my feelings or motivating each other to do better helps us as individuals. Knowing someone has your back and having full trust that you have strong support system no matter what. Another discourse community I would say is beneficial to me would be class discussion, especially when open ended questions are asked and you get to hear other people’s perspective and opinions. I enjoy hearing professors also add into those discussions because hearing from a person who has a good education and experience is always worth listening to.
The first thing I think of when I hear discourse community is my track team or the track community as a whole. Being a part of a discourse community like track and Field is overwhelming at first because you get bombarded with all of these new terminologies and everyone is focused on themselves. Hence, you feel as if you’re not part of a community at all, but as time goes on you get comfortable. You start to figure everything out, You start picking up on new lingo every day, you realize everyone isn’t self-centered, and you can learn a lot from your peers.
The discourse community I feel like I belong in is being a food lover. A discourse community I feel like I want to belong in is the stock market. Because I always wonder where can I invest in and earn profits… This community is new to me but I have to do more research on the language they speak and how can i navigate the apps and website to check what am looking for. Its a lot of thought and work I know I have to put in.
I would say that the discourse community I am most engaged in would be the football (American) community. I’ve been watching the NFL since I was 8 years old, my entire family watched alongside me, and I’ve dedicated countless hours to watching my favorite team repeatedly lose in horrible fashion. As a result of these factors, I would consider myself to be well-versed in the NFL community and I would feel very confident to have a full discussion on a certain football topic. One discourse community that I am starting to get into but would like to go deeper in would be the fashion community. I’ve been more dedicated to perfecting my closet in the past year or so, and while I do have a couple designers/brands that I love in particular, I think I can still learn a lot more. To help me get closer to this goal, I’m taking a fashion history course this semester and so far it has been incredibly interesting.