Homage to Discourse Community
A reflection on a community that can connect within
Communication is a foundational element of human life. Whether conversing with friends, performing for art, or dictating the law, we are linked by a standard set of communication skills and tools to understand each other and understand ourselves.
What is discourse community?
Discourse communities are a powerful component of human social structures, stemming from either conscious or subconscious means. It is a collection of people that work towards a shared goal through an exchange of ideas. Such a group utilizes a process for communication, a unique vocabulary, and a power structure tied to the source of their community. Different genres are tailored to discourse communities and help define them — a way to communicate in the social world.
They encompass:
1. common goals
2. intercommunication among its members
3. possesses one or more GENRES
4. mechanisms to provide information and feedback
5. Basic standard of knowledge
John Sales in 1990 shed light on the phrase Discourse Community. He described it as “groups that have goals or purposes and use communication to achieve these goals.”
As I see it, we, in Medium.com., are a set of people who use a common language for interaction in a supportive and friendly environment.
Thank you for giving me generously pieces of yourselves
To all my writing buddies on Medium, I thank you for enriching my life. Your musings, articles, poetry, and other self-expression have helped me move on with my writing.
The benefits of reading your writing include expanding my perspective, a greater appreciation of the joys of life, and increased mindfulness and self-awareness — all good stuff! from psychology to literature, philosophy to information science. Not surprisingly, some greatness has emerged from within my small community.