Anthony Bradt
MAJ Garriott
ERH 101-18
02 October 2016
The Field of Computer Science and Discourse Communities
The discourse community is an ever-present element in all aspects of life. Whether it is a social group, an academic focus, or a profession, the concept of Swale’s discourse community continues to be a regular part of our lives. In particular, the field of Computer Science spans much larger than your typical network analyst. The academic discipline requires various types of advanced programmers, information security experts, and specialists to maintain the physical equipment needed to get the job done. To be a successful Computer Scientist, all these different aspects of the field are needed to keep the websites and programs millions of people use everyday up and running without fail. The computer science department at Depauw University illustrates the complexity of the computer science community by describing different aspects of the field of academia that deem the discipline of computer science a discourse community.
One of the largest and most obvious characteristics of the presence of a discourse community within the field of Computer Science is the specific lexis used amongst programmers an IT professionals alike. According to Swales, lexis is a specific set of language used only within one discourse community (Swales). All computer programs are written in a specific programming language, such as Java or C++. To an outsider of this discourse community, these languages seem to be a bunch of random keyboard characters and words thrown together and, when organized correctly, magically solve problems or display information on computer program. DePauw University’s website writes that “Computing enables you to make a positive difference in the world” and this is clearly illustrated through Depew’s recent development of technology helping medical patients with low vision (“Computer Science…”). A programmer understands the meaning of every character they input into the computer and what the result will be. In this case, the specific lexis of computer scientists was used in such a way that the quality of the average persons life was improved forever. The concept of the lexis within the CIS community is very similar to the many different speaking languages throughout the world today. Unless a person is from the region where a spoken language is used, the outsider to that community/country will probably not be able to understand the language from other regions of the world. The average consumer does not understand the complex lexis of the programming community. The most direct correlation to programming language is to the Mandarin Chinese language. Every character that is input into the computer has a different meaning from another, and based on where the characters are placed, the entire meaning of the program can be altered. Sometimes this leads to wonderful technological advancements, such as Steve Jobs development of the first Apple computer, or it can lead to a circuit board to self destruct such as the recent issues with the Microsoft developed Galaxy Note 7. The lexis of the computer science community is the foundation of the field, and without it, there would be no advancements in computer technology.
All of the programming language and constant advancement of the Computer Science field would be nothing without a set of common goals. The main common goal of the academic discipline is to create a knowledgeable, computing professional that can change with the ever-changing world. Without a smaller set of goals, there is no possible way that the main goal could be reached (“”Computer Science”). One of these smaller goals is the seemingly simple goal to make the average consumers life just a little less hectic. This can be accomplished by utilizing computer scientist to develop thing such as apps, new phones, laptops, and countless other tools that the business professional, student, or average everyday person can use. Without the computer scientists at established corporations such as Apple or Microsoft, the development of future programmers would be virtually impossible without their wealth of knowledge. DePauw Universities’ website writes that “IT employment in the US was 17% higher in 2014 than in 1999” (“Computer Science”). This statistic directly correlates with the more technology-based world we live in today. Many Computer science programs, such as Depew Universities’, train new programmers from the mistakes and failed programs of the past to ensure that these mistakes do not happen again. By doing this, the consumer can be more confident with the final outcome that is produced by programmers. Many modern corporations offer internships to Computer Science majors entering the workforce. This not only allows corporations to scope out future employees, but also gives the entire community of computer scientists to create a better programmer than they were when they started. An example of this is the internships offered through Depew at large corporations such as “Microsoft, Google, Price Waterhouse, Accenture, West Monroe Partners, America Online, Eli Lili, JP Morgan Chase, Eli Lilly…” (“Computer Science”). When the elements of creating educated incoming computer scientists along with creating a programmer able to improve the quality of the consumer’s daily life, the result is a programmer who understands the aspects of the modern programming world while also creating someone who is able to adapt and overcome the challenges of the evolving technological world.
According to Swales’ definition, a true discourse community must have a threshold level of members (Swales). In the modern world, computer programmers are a rare breed mainly because of the difficulty of programming and the languages involved. According to the DePauw Department of Computer Science, applicants must have above average teamwork abilities; the ability to adapt to the ever-changing technological advancements in the modern world as well as apply advanced mathematics to solve complex programming issues in the modern world (“Computer Science”). Although the field is looking for a student capable of performing all of these tasks, the criterion actually creates a threshold community on its own. Not only is it extremely difficult to find a person able to perform to an acceptable standard, but also it is even more difficult to find a previously established computer scientist who is able to effectively keep up with all of the advancements within the technological world. Because of this, a need for younger, more moldable computer scientist is needed. In reality, the young computer scientist is not a readily available commodity, but with the 17% increase in employment opportunities as described within DePauw Universities website, one can expect this number to increase drastically as schools and universities move away from traditional teaching methods, and use modern technology to educate the next generation of future leaders and scholars (“Computer Science”). Today, there is an increasing interest amongst college students and more and more students are switching their majors into the Computer Science field. Right now, there is a plethora of job opportunities and a need for new, educated students to enter into the workforce is a resource that will be “invaluable” in the coming years because only one out of every ten students studying computer science actually walk away with a degree due to the academic discipline’s difficulty and complexity (Hager). The programmer will undoubtedly be an invaluable commodity in the near future.
The discourse community of computer science is an emerging community in the modern world. Analysts, programmers and equipment managers makeup the foundation of this community, and together create the technology that people use everyday and is all too often taken for granted. Without these programming professionals, websites, phones and laptops, all tools vital to the modern student and businessman/woman would be unavailable. Without the discourse community of Computer Science, the technology-based nations throughout the world would be drastically different places than we know today.
Works Cited
“Computer Science Department.” DePauw University. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Hager, Dean. “The Real Reasons Behind the Tech Skills Gap.” Fortune Comments. N.p.,
26 Apr. 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.
Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.” Genre Analysis: English in the Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 21-32. Print.
Help Received:
- The above sources
- MAJ Garriott
- Peer review by BR Alford
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