Discourse Community Ethnography

Discourse Community Ethnography

Leesa Carroll
University of Texas at El Paso





















Discourse Community Ethnography


INTRODUCTION
This discourse community analysis and its intention is to evaluate the one of multiple online
communities; Mothers against drunk driving (MADD). This evaluation is based off of the six defining
characteristics stated by John Swales on identifying a discourse community and other literary sources to
determine and comprehend a better understanding of what a discourse community consists of.
Discourse communities partake in our everyday lives, even if we do not realize it at some point we have
been involved in a discourse community. Discourse communities are all around us and are in fact what
make up our society, they provide and exchange ideas, and important information. The online
community I am analyzing in my paper is a nonprofit community working to fight drunk driving and
underage drinking.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The overall purpose of a discourse community is to share a common goal or common goals and
share these goals publicly with the intention of gaining new members or advocates by providing
enough information through a genre of their choice whether it be by email, public meetings,
websites, or all three. They convey their message through their own language or Lexis in which
applies to their discourse community. The conceptualization of a discourse community and the
requirements it must meet consist of:
1. A broadly agreed upon set of goals
2. A formation of intercommunication within the group
3. Participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback
4. A wide range of use when it comes to genres
5. Specific lexis
Discourse Community Ethnography


6. A threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and
discoursal expertise.
(Swales, 2011)
Swales further describes the difference between discourse communities and speech
communities. Speech communities are specific communities seen as being composed of those who
share similar linguistic rules (Bloomfield, 1933).
Another important article is Intertextuality and the discourse community by James E. Porter
elaborating about the text within the text of discourse communities and their intertwining ideas. A
discourse community shares assumptions about what objects are appropriate for examination and
discussion, what operating functions are performed on those objects, what constitutes evidence and
validity, and what formal conventions are followed. (Porter, 1986). In determining whether my online
community of Moms against drunk driving is or is not considerably a discourse community I will follow
John Swales six defining characteristics which I stated earlier, these characteristics Swales states are
necessary in identifying a discourse community.
The community of Mothers against drunk driving (MADD) was founded by a woman who lost
her daughter in a drunk driving accident. This community obviously is an organization of mothers,
mothers from all over the nation who have come together with a mission to prevent drunk driving and
underage drinking. Not all of the women in this community have lost a child or loved one due to drunk
driving, but most of them have. Their genre consists of internet access to their website, an e-mail
address, and they are also located in a building in Irvin, Texas. They are helpful in providing plenty of
information on how to get involved with their organization.
Methods
Discourse Community Ethnography


A discourse community is a combination of five factors: acting, valuing, believing, attitude, and
socially identify. (Gee 1989) The methods for identifying a discourse community are very crucial
depending on the community being overlooked. Taking into consideration that my analysis is based off
of an online community the necessary methods are slightly altered.