Student Sample 9112016 WP1 Discourse Communities Essay ✓ Solved

Student Sample9112016wp1 Discourse Communities Essaya Discourse A W

Student Sample9112016wp1 Discourse Communities Essaya Discourse A W

Student Sample 9/11/2016 WP1: Discourse Communities Essay A Discourse a way of being in the world, described by James Paul Gee, It is a combination of your doing, valuing, being and valuing. (“Literacy, Discourse, and Linguisticsâ€, Gee. A discourse community is best described as a group of people who share the same common goals, as well as appreciating the same values. (“The Concept of Discourse Communityâ€, Swales†Members of a discourse group also communicate in the same genres and “lexis†which is vocabulary that only that group understands. (Swales) We as people in todays society are members of different discourse communities all throughout our life time. Swales wrote “Discourse Communities have changing memberships; Individuals enter as apprentices and leave by death or in less involuntary ways.†You can enter a variety of communities that help influence your life.

You may enter as an apprentice and then work your way up to an experienced member. Being a part of a variety of discourse communities in my life, I’ve realized that I have a certain personality in each of them, and it raises the question of “which one is really myself?†or is it me being in these different group that actually forms me as a person? Family is an example of a discourse community that you are born into. This environment requires love and support for one another. You have to be emotionally there all of the time.

In my family we all share the same moral values of loyalty and respect. In this discourse we all speak the same language and communicate in the same genres of social media and group text messaging. These are good ways for us to stay in the loop with each others lives and daily conflicts. There are different topics inside the walls of family that only we understand, because we have all of the history between each other. Topics such as nick names, inside jokes, and knowing things that you are aloud to bring up and things that are better left unsaid are all examples of what makes us unique.

Your relatives are where you learn your first views of culture and belief systems that help sculpt you as the person you are today. We share the same goal of keeping the family name for generations to generations all with the same credo. When I’m around members of this discourse community, it’s where I feel least like my true self. I try to not make this sound like a negative factor, because it’s not, it’s just the truth of it all. A true identity crisis, with my foot half way in such an important piece of my life.

It’s not to say that I don’t love, enjoy, and respect them, but once I exit this community and enter another one I see changes in myself to where I act more like my genuine self and feel a sense of comfort of not over thinking my every actions. When I turned eighteen years old I entered a role as a makeup artist at MAC cosmetics, one of the most respected companies in the prestige cosmetic world. This is where I entered a community that felt like home. I am fearless and confident here. This is where I realized who I organically was and being part of this community has not only changed my life but I’ve seen it influence my other discourse communities.

Everyone at MAC speaks the same lexis, we all just get it. It clicks. We talk about makeup all day and collaborate ideas to vibe off of each others energy, this may seem like a foreign language to some. Everyone has huge personalities and are all very unique but share the same goals in artistry. We are all dripping in trendy black clothing, passionately creative, and some of the most driven people you will ever meet.

I feel like myself here, and I’m all in it. I can’t just wear crazy makeup around my family or even class mates without getting a second look or having to give an explanation. I always feel a sense of judgement outside of the walls of my career. I don’t feel like people on the outside of these walls understand why I am this passionate about my job or why I don’t have a “grown up†career choice such as a doctor or a lawyer. Obviously I can’t just stay in one discourse community all one-hundred-and-sixty-eight hours of the week.

But it does get exhausting having to switch my personalities on a daily basis. I’m a completely different person throughout the adventures at school, work, and around my family and friends. “At any moment we are using language we must say or write the right thing in the right way while playing the right social role and (appearing) to hold the right values, beliefs, and attitudes.†(“Literacy, Discourse, and Linguisticsâ€, Gee) When Gee says this, I feel as if there is a heavier pressure in trying to obtain a Discourse. When I am writing or speaking in a discourse community, I want that moment to be candid. Otherwise would I really be in that discourse If I had to question my thoughts of beliefs and values of the correct content?

I disagree with him because it’s almost forced when you have to question if you are saying the “right†thing or not. What is the “right†thing to say? And who is it up to? Now, I don’t want to appear phony or fraud in my life while being one way in one place and flip the switch the next. Works Cited Gee, James P.

“Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction.†Journal of Education 171.): 5-17. Print Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.†Genre Analysis: English in Academic and research settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, . Print.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Discourse communities shape our identities and influence our social interactions significantly. Through analyzing my participation in different discourse communities—namely my family and my career as a makeup artist—I have come to understand how these groups impact my sense of self and communication styles. Using Gee's and Swales's theories of discourse, I will examine how I navigate these worlds, the roles I adopt, and the power dynamics involved.

Summary of Gee’s Theory on Discourse

Gee describes Discourse as a way of being in the world that encompasses language, identity, and social practice. According to him, Discourse involves more than just language; it includes the ways of acting, believing, and valuing that are associated with a particular community (Gee, 1989). Gee also emphasizes the importance of 'identity kits'—sets of language, behaviors, and attitudes that individuals adopt to fit into a Discourse (Gee, 1989). His theory underscores that becoming proficient in a Discourse requires enculturation—learning the unwritten rules and norms of participation.

Description of My Chosen Community

My family functions as a primary Discourse, where emotional support, shared values, and internal communication forms the core. From a young age, I learned specific language patterns, inside jokes, and cultural norms that are unique to my family. This community influences my core beliefs and social behaviors, such as loyalty and respect. While this community provides a sense of belonging, I often notice that I feel less like my true self within this context, highlighting the complex relationship between identity and social roles.

Analysis and Reflection

In my experience, entering and exiting different Discourse communities requires adapting my language and behaviors. For example, when I transitioned from my family to my work environment as a makeup artist at MAC Cosmetics, I adopted a new identity characterized by confidence, creativity, and a shared vocabulary—all aspects of the community’s 'lexis.' The professional language and behaviors I embraced here made me feel more authentic and self-assured, contrasting sharply with my family interactions where I often suppress my individuality to conform to expectations.

Gee’s concept of 'insider' versus 'outsider' communication resonates with my experience. As an insider in the makeup community, I speak fluently, knowing the 'gates'—those who control knowledge, like senior artists or managers. Outsiders may see this community as superficial or overly trendy, but for us, it’s about shared values and skills. Gatekeepers here include industry leaders who set standards for proficiency and professionalism. Being an insider grants access to mentorships, advanced techniques, and community recognition, while outsiders often only have superficial exposure.

My enculturation into this community involved both formal training—such as workshops—and informal learning through observation, practice, and mentorship. Moving from novice to expert involved 'mushfaking'—pretending to know more than I did at first—to gain trust and experience. According to Gee, true literacy involves mastering this Discourse—being able to think, communicate, and act within its norms confidently. For me, achieving literacy means internalizing the language, norms, and values to the point where I no longer question whether I am doing it correctly but act naturally within the community.

While my primary Discourse is family, the secondary community of my career has profoundly reshaped my identity. The overlap has enriched my communication skills but also created tension—when my personal beliefs clash with professional norms. My earliest memory of entering this Discourse was participating in makeup demonstrations, where I learned implicit rules about presentation, confidence, and collaboration. Over time, I have become more 'literate' in this community, as I have internalized its language and practices, enabling me to navigate it with confidence and authenticity.

Conclusion

Engaging with different Discourse communities has significantly shaped my personal and professional identity. My involvement in the makeup community has empowered me to express my authentic self, fostering confidence and skills that extend into other areas of my life. Conversely, my family community provides emotional grounding but often requires me to suppress certain aspects of my identity. These experiences demonstrate that Discourse communities are not just about language but about shaping the way we see ourselves and the world, influencing our writing, communication, and identity.

References

• Gee, James P. "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction." Journal of Education, vol. 171, no. 1, 1989, pp. 5-17.
• Swales, John. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings, Cambridge UP, 1990, pp. 21-32.
• Johns, Ann M. "Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity." Text, Role, and Context: Developing Academic Literacies, Cambridge UP, 1997, pp. 51-70.
• Melzer, Dan. "Understanding Discourse Communities." Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vol. 3, Parlor Press, 2020.
• Murray, Donald. "The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscript." 2008.
• Gee, James P. "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction." Journal of Education, 1989.
• Swales, John. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Genre Analysis, 1990.
• Johns, Ann M. "Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice." 1997.
• Melzer, Dan. "Understanding Discourse Communities." 2020.
• Additional scholarly sources on discourse theory and identity in social groups.