This essay is an analysis what what a discourse community is and an example of this type of community. This discourse community is not very unique but it is different from many communities. This essay outlines and explains this community. It not only explains a discourse community and its key steps but also how my specific community relates to this. The example discourse community in this essay is the Honor Court at the Virginia Military Institute. This community is a perfect example of a discourse community and this essay outlines and explains that view.
Analysing the Honor Court
and Discourse Community
ERH 101, Section 1
Date Due: 20 July 2018
Date Sub: 20 July 2018
Paper No. 1
Virginia Military Institute Library
Writing About Writing
Webcourses@UCF
James Muskett
When there is a group of people with the same set of discourses and have the same ways of communicating these discourses, this is referred to as a discourse community. Despite a discourse community being compared and equalized to multiple other types of communities, it does in fact have a difference to it. There are many communities that fall under the definition of a discourse community. Linguist John Swales defined discourse communities as “groups that have goals or purposes, and use communication to achieve these goals”. At the Virginia Military Institute, the Honor Court is a perfect example of this community.
Discourse community is often in need of clarification. According to Swales, a discourse community can be easily characterized. A discourse community first always has a broadly agreed set of common goals/ discourses. It also has a set way of intercommunication between its members. These communications are mostly used to provide information and get feedback. It also utilizes and possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims in addition to owning genres, it has acquired some specific lexis. (Wikipedia) This is similar to a speech community though despite differences. As stated by John Swales, “It is possible of course, that there is no pressing need to clarify the concept of Discourse Community because, at the end of the account, it will turn out to be nothing more than composition specialist’s convenient translation of the long-established concept of speech community common to sociolinguistics and central to the ethnography of communication.” (p.219) Whether speech community is the same or equivalent of a discourse will be always be further discussed in this next section as well as in the academic world. A discourse has four main bodies that define it: Common Goals, Values, Specialized Vocabulary and Specialized Genre. Swales had six main descriptions on what a community had to contain of in order to qualify as a discourse community. The six were a discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals, a discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among their members, a discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback, a discourse community utilizes and possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims, in addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis, and a discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.(footnote) Swales felt that these steps must be used when identifying a discourse community.
The Honor Court is one of the most important part of the Virginia Military Institute. The heart of VMI is the Honor system which is why the Honor Court is so important. This Honor Court falls under the discourse community system. I first began researching and learning more about this system and community after learning that my dyke. After learning that I needed to write a paper about a discourse community I knew this would be my topic for sure. I began to dig deeper into the actual roots of honor at the Virginia Military Institute. I was unsure as to whether I would have enough to write on at first but as I began to research I realized just how important honor was at VMI which made the Honor Court a key community at VMI. I used the online sources at the Virginia Military Institute to read into depth more about the honor system at VMI. It was also helpful learning about the history of the honor system and how its changed over the years. I also used other online sources such as Wikipedia and Web courses at UCF. I also used “The Concept of Discourse Community”, by John Swales, in order to better explain and compare the discourse community to the Honor Court. Each of these sources provided a more in depth view of not so much the history of the Honor Court at VMI but more so what it means to the cadets, faculty and alumni. This view is seen not as individuals but more so as a community.
Through research I have found the Honor Court to be a perfect example of a discourse community. “In the life outside of VMI there is lying, cheating and stealing. At VMI we try to lay a foundation for the cadets. We all have this common goal here at VMI so that the cadets here may go out into the world and perhaps a positive effect on it or at least provide more individuals with a sense of honor.”(Matthew Esnardo) As a former Honor Court member, Matt has a direct connection to this system and community. The Honor Court has a broadly public set of goals which are to keep a foundation of honor in the system of the Virginia Military Institute.“Probably the greatest asset of a man’s character, and one which stands out in every VMI man, is honor. This is a trait not recently acquired, but the product of a rigid system of honor rules which have been respected and obeyed by the corps for years….The honor system is not a novel feature; ever since the foundation of VMI there has been some form of it. From 1839 to 1870 the corps at large controlled such matters as were brought before it. In 1870 the real formation of an honor court took place and it has functioned ever since.” (The Cadet, 1925 September 28) This is a recorded quote from a previous cadet at VMI. The Honor Court also follows each of Swale’s six steps in determining whether a community can be defined as a discourse community or not.
In the Honor Court there are set common goals that each individual that joins this community have a desire to uphold. The Honor code very clearly states, “I will not lie, cheat, steal nor tolerate those who do.” This common goal is what each individual follows and believe in once they become a part of this community.The Honor Court is not the only one that enforces these values though. This code is made and upheld by the cadets at VMI themselves in order to keep each and every cadet accountible. Each community needs the next Discourse Community Rule which is intercommunication.
There is of course the verbal intercommunication within the Honor Court but there is also the unspoken communication such as the values. For example: Thou shalt not lie, cheat or steal. These values are not spoken but they are merely communicated as knowledge. Some ways of communication are through give and receiving feedback. The mechanisms are what are used in this communication which will be discussed in the following section.
There are mechanisms used in communicating and keeping each every cadet accountable within the rules of the Community. Some mechanisms used by the Honor Court are as follows: there are Investigations and trials, official statements, delinquencies, Permits, “All right” status, roll calls and official records.(Virginia MIlitary Institute- “The Honor System”) These are the steps and mechanisms are used and taken by those in this discourse community of the Honor Court in order to remain on track for their common goals. Without these mechanisms the community could lose sight of their common goal or sway in their direction. In order to keep the core and community on track it takes a genre that will benefit it most positively.
The Honor Court’s genre is a more documented genre than anything else. It uses this form of genre because it is by far the most professional and reliable out other types of genres. Everything is recorded and presented on documents.There are the official records, Public records and personal records. These records are made about everything but primarily the previously stated mechanisms. These mechanisms must be recorded in order to better uphold the honor and common goals of the community.
In order to better uphol this firm and professional genre, the community must also have its personal lexis. The Honor Court uses the strong aspect of militarism in order to strengthen the accountability, honor and professionalism. The drill, customs and courtesies and uniform all support the genre in the military and professional setting. Each member of this community have their own level of following these rules. A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.
“In a discourse community, members often come into the community as novices and “leave by death or other less involuntary ways” (Swales 27) In the Honor Court it is not quite that drastic. Each member has their own level of authority and responsibility but they do not remain there until death. Each cadet goes through their positions by their term. As soon as their term is over is goes onto the next cadet that will then take on those responsibilities in upholding the goals of the community.
There are many different various types of communities in the society we live in but the Discourse Community has its own specific characteristics to it. Swales defines a Discourse Community as a community or group that have a common goal, way of using intercommunication and genre. The Honor Court is my specific example of this community but it is simply one group that fits the Discourse Community rules stated by Swales. Does a community not qualify as a Discourse Community if it does not follow simply one of these rules though?
Work Cite
Virginia Military Institute Library
https://www.vmi.edu/cadet-life/life-on-post/cadet-government/
Virginia Military Institute Library
https://www.vmi.edu/archives/vmi-archives-faqs/vmi-honor-systemhistory
Wardie, Elizabeth, and Downs, Doug. Writing About Writing. Bedford/st. Martins, Macmillian Learning, 2011.
Webcourses@UCF
https://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/984277/pages/what-is-a-discourse-community