Discourse Community Analysis

Instructions

AIMS: For this writing project, you will use both primary and secondary research to evaluate, analyze, and synthesize prior knowledge on a subject and create new knowledge by contributing to existing conversations about discourse communities. The purpose of the project is for you to discover more about a discourse community that interests you, that you are a member of, or that you might want to join. The results of your research will be presented via the form of an argumentative essay.PROCESS: You will begin by identifying and describing a discourse community that interests you. This could be anything from a sports team to a religious community to a fan community, but choose something that you know you want to spend lots of time learning more about! You will conduct primary research by interviewing a community member(s) (not yourself), giving a survey, or acting as an observer/participant in the community for an event. You are also expected to integrate secondary research that others have conducted from appropriate sources. You must include at least one academic article, but otherwise the secondary sources you choose should be evaluated based on criteria that we discuss in class. Finally, you will use your research findings to make an argument or claim about an issue related to your chosen discourse community. Your argument should be original and contestable!FORMAT: Craft a 1,500 word persuasive essay in which you make an argument about a contestable issue related to your chosen discourse community. You must include a clear thesis, which may be one or multiple sentences. You may be flexible in the research methods you choose to use, but you should plan to include at least one scholarly article from an academic source, as well as at least one method of primary research (interview, survey, etc.)POTENTIAL QUESTIONS:How is this community a discourse community?What kinds of people belong to this community? Which members are experts and which are newcomers? How do newcomers learn the appropriate methods of communication within this community?How does one become a member of this community? Is it open or closed? What genres does this community use to communicate? What is the purpose of those genres?How is reading and writing used by this community?How does this community use its discoursal conventions to initiate new members?How does the discourse of this community reflect its belief and value systems?Does this community have a lexis (specialized language/terminology)? If so, what are those terms and how are they used by the community?Are there conflicts within the community? What are they? Why do they occur? Do texts/genres mediate these conflicts or make them worse?Do any genres help the community work towards its goals effectively or prevent the community from doing so?Do some participants have difficulty speaking and writing within the community? If so, why?Who has authority in the community? How is that authority demonstrated in language? Where does the authority come from? Are members of the community stereotyped in any way in regard to their literacy knowledge? If so, why?COVER MEMO: You will submit a cover memo with both your peer response workshop draft and the revised draft that you submit to me. It needs to include the following:Peer Workshop DraftRevised Instructors DraftOne paragraph describing what you think the strengths and weaknesses of your draft are One paragraph with any questions or concerns that you want your peer responders to address One paragraph describing what you think the strengths and weaknesses of your project are One paragraph summarizing the feedback you got from your peer responders, and what revisions you made based on your peers response One paragraph with any questions or concerns that you want me to addressASSESSMENT: Your discourse community analysis will be assessed based on the following criteria:Title: Does your reader know what your analysis will be about?Argument: Is your thesis identifiable? Contestable? Clear?Reason & Evidence: What details do you include? Have you included quotations from secondary sources, interviews, etc.? Does each body paragraph include evidence and analysis?Examples: What proof do you have to support your argument? Have you considered the possibility of counterarguments? How do you deal with the naysayers?Citations: Did you cite your sources consistently and clearly? Will a reader be able to retrace your steps and find your sources for themselves?Word Count: Is the project 1,500 words?Please help me to edit my essayThe feedback for my essay isRhetorical Concepts: B (shows knowledge of research paper conventions, but doesn't necessarily cater strongly to audience; audience is left with a lot of questions, and purpose is unclear due to nonspecific thesis)Processes: A (evidence of revision and incorporation of feedback)Knowledge of Conventions: C (need to prioritize argument at the beginning and throughout the entire paper and articulate the importance of making such an argument; right now, the thesis is not contestable)Research: B (good source integration, but could use more detailed secondary sources to help narrow down a more specific argument about an issue or conflict)Metacognition: B (cover memo is ok, could use more detailed reflection)

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