Project 2: Discourse Community Analysis
, at the start of class ~~Submit in print and on Canvas~~ Length: 1250-1500 words Overview: A discourse community, according to Chuck Bazerman (2009), is “a grouping of people who share common language norms, characteristics, patterns, or practices as a consequence of their ongoing communications and identification with each other.” Examples of discourse communities include professional groups and organizations, academic disciplines and sub-disciplines, interest groups, social media groups, faith-based groups, and so on. In this assignment you will select and conduct an analysis of one specific discourse community. Purpose: As writers, we all participate in discourse communities. As professionals in both academic and industry settings, we are often faced with new situations and new discourse communities for whom we must write. The best writers understand the communities in which they find themselves: their shared histories and vocabularies, what modes and genres they employ, how persuasion generally operates, what kind of rhetorical appeals are most affective, and so on. Thus, the purpose of this assignment is twofold. First, you will learn to conduct primary research through inquiry as you investigate a specific discourse community. Second, you will develop broadly applicable critical skills in determining what effective writing looks like in a given community. The Task: You will select a discourse community to analyze (Please note: you will be working with this discourse community in Project 2 and Project 3). You will identify three primary-source texts, or manifestations of discourse, in/from that community. Then, with reference to these sources, you will write an essay in which you analyze how communication works in that community. We will use Swales’ (1990) six-part framework for conceptualizing discourse communities in class. You are free to use other analytical frames instead of or in addition to his. What McElroy is looking for:
• A concisely written essay in which you analyze a specific discourse community of your choice
• Evidence of intentionality regarding organization and structure • Deductive reference to three primary-source texts from the community
under investigation • Consistency of tone, style, and voice • MLA formatting • Grammatical, syntactical, and spelling accuracy and appropriateness
