Discourse Community

A discourse community is a group of people who talk about a specific topic and have a set of common public goals around that topic (Fritch). “Discourse” in this term just refers to the communication between each group, and “community” just refers to the group of people involved. Each discourse community has their own set of rules and values about the topic, and a way of communicating about these ideals. Members within the community are expected to have some mastery on the topic, and communicating with other members of the discourse community about information and feedback is key to achieving their goals (Fritch). Each discourse community also has its own genres and slang that community members use (“What is a Discourse Community?”).

John Swales defined these characteristics for discourse community, and they’re listed as:

● A broadly agreed set of common public goals

● Mechanisms of intercommunication among their members

● It uses these mechanisms to provide information and feedback

● Possesses one or more genres

● In additions to genres, it has some specific jargon/slang

● It has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and expertise

These are the components of a discourse community (“A Simple Explanation”). An important idea to consider is the skill level of members. For a discourse community to evolve and grow, there needs to be a good ratio between new members or beginners, and the experts on the topic - and if there isn’t, the community can eventually die out (“What is a Discourse Community?”). Another important aspect of the criteria for discourse communities is the specific terms or language used. A discourse community of musicians might have their own terms describing instruments, music, or other aspects that others outside of the community might not grasp. Each group is fitted with their own understanding and slang around the topic, and this is utilized in community between discourse members.

People working together for a company, study groups, book clubs, subreddits - all of these are examples of discourse communities. They are connected by a goal or purpose and communicate with one another to reach those goals. It is a broad term that can help define any topic and any group of people as long as they have the right expertise to contribute to the discussions being had and fit the other criteria for discourse communities.

Discourse communities are an important part of society and writing. It gives people a platform to discuss a topic with other like-minded people to figure out a solution or goals they can reach with that topic. It also gives people outside of the discourse community a chance to understand that topic better, because they can read and talk with the people within that community to understand their problems, goals, and aspirations. Discourse communities are also useful for niche or unpopular discussions that are still important to groups of people. If someone wants to talk about a specific author and their writings, a specific social problem, or any other topic that others might ignore, a discourse community about that topic would be a perfect place to have those talks. The communities talking about these subjects are often “fans” with similar opinions, but it is still open for discussion even if it is a negative opinion or value (Fritch).

“A Simple Explanation of Discourse Community With Examples.” Social Mettle, 2 Feb. 2015, socialmettle.com/explanation-of-discourse-community-with-examples.

Fritch, John. “Purdue Discourse Communities and Organizations--ENGL 106: Home.” Discourse Community, Purdue University, guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=353142.

“What Is a Discourse Community?” What Is a Discourse Community?: ENC1102-13Fall 0027, UCF Web Courses, Fall, webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/984277/pages/what-is-a-discourse-community.