Imagine a community surrounded by people who know a certain topic to the same level as you. That is a discourse community, these communities tend to be spaces that put a topic into an analysis that everyday people wouldn’t understand. Discourse communities are special, they have a lot to do with code switching, which portrays a different kind of language. We are all part of discourse communities, and we try to fit into them to adapt to their standards.
One of the discourse communities I am a part of is the railway community. This community analyzes the bells and whistles of how trains work in depth. Sometimes, we record trains passing by, a practice called railfanning. Many of us in this community are railfans. A few days ago I went on a school trip to an MTA signalling school in Manhattan, I got to see how track switches and signals worked. I also noticed that the workers and students there had a pretty unique language that utilized code switching, a lot of everyday people wouldn’t know how a signal in the New York City Subway would work. We also analyze how train cars are numbered and what they would be called. Do you know about that one train set that’s kind of like the 7 that’s built for the L train? Well that’s called an R143. Did you know that? I’m guessing you haven’t. Not only do we analyze the subway itself. We try to figure out ways to make it better, we sometimes propose extensions to envision how the extension would benefit our city as a whole. Take a look at Queenslink, A project that is supposed to connect northern and southern Queens, just from 4 new stations. We also know a lot about the history of the New York City Subway. Did you know the M train used to run to Coney Island, where the Q currently runs? Well you do now! Not to mention, the subway is very reliable, it’s the most consistent way to get around the city, while it may be a bit questionable sometimes, I believe that there are ways we can make it better than it is now. Circling back to how unique this community is, I believe that this community has a lot of perks in problem solving and creativity, but in other ways it can be pretty fun! Railfanning can be considered a hobby by some, and some others may just do it for fun! But the railway community doesn’t stop in real life, we sometimes even interpret our attributes into games. Take Roblox for example, there are hundreds of railroad games on there where you can just drive a train around a city or a neighborhood, this can show how open-minded this community can be! This community knows a lot of stuff that most everyday people wouldn’t even know in the first place. They’d probably view trains as something that gets you to point A to point B, but to us it’s a lot more than that! I am proud to be a part of this community, I pose a great fit for it!
Another discourse community I would like to talk about is the community that crosses between engineering and architecture, these two go great together, especially in city planning. While I may not have as much experience from this community as the railway community, I would say that I am a part of it. I know a good amount of stuff from the engineering and architecture community that everyday people wouldn’t know. Through engineering, there is a design process where you design what you are going to build, then there’s a developmental stage where the team tries to get as many people on board as possible so they could build it. Then, there is the construction stage where people well, build the structure, but does it end there? No! They have to look for any problems that would disrupt the opening to the public, for example, there could be a plumbing problem or a problem with the structure. If there are no goofs, they can open it to the public or private, depending on the ownership of said structure. In construction, there are always disruptions to the quality of life, you have to deal with drills and loud hammers by your home every day, and in most cases you’re not even able to walk on certain blocks. I had to deal with this sometimes while taking the B or Q train to School and taking it back home, A lot of times my home stop had to be skipped entirely so I would have to leave at the station before or after instead. But in the end, it was all worth it as there is going to be a completely new mezzanine and elevator at that station. This all has to do with engineering and architecture, you sacrifice your way of life temporarily to get something new! Going back to how unique this discourse community is, I believe that this community utilizes a lot in code switching as well. The world of engineering and architecture has a lot to do with Career and technical education. There are tons of Architectural types and tons of Engineering types. You got Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Architectural Engineering, and a lot more. You probably won’t be able to use the code we’re using if you didn’t understand the types of engineering and architecture. I pretty much understand the code they’re using, therefore I feel like I belong in this community!
In conclusion, discourse communities are a great way to branch out in life, and there are a lot of discourse communities out there that YOU may fit in. You have to look for the ones that express your interests and utilize your talents. The world is diverse, a giant globe with a lot in store, so there is no way that you wouldn’t be able to fit in a discourse community. To belong in a discourse community means to find your people!
Recent Comments