In my own words, a discourse community is a group in which:
- Standards are maintained through formal communication, either written artifacts or verbal exchange
- Conversations are constrained by:
- language that reflects specialization (jargon)
- other assigned language conventions that differentiate it from other groups
- application of specific genres deemed most appropriate/productive
- perspectives relevant to the group’s common goal
What I found to be most helpful to expanding my understanding of discourse communities from the Lumen article is that the most perceptible way in which the discourse community impacts conversations is by guiding the kinds of questions members will ask.
In my opinion, the concept of discourse communities should not only be applied to academic disciplines or professional fields. Discourse communities are found even within “nonprofessional” workplaces in which a respectively minimal degree education or training is required in order to be a member. For example, if you get a job in the food service industry for a small company, there are likely still written articles, such as an employee handbook, that contextualizes how members are expected to participate, contribute, and relate with other community members. There are also clear expectations in these environments about how members are meant to communicate with individuals outside of the group (like customers, patrons, the general public) when one is acting as an agent of the organization. I also think that sometimes these guidelines are understood but not necessarily published to community members through written artifacts, but instead are communicated verbally.
Here is an essay I wrote from an assignment during the intermediate composition course at UC Blue Ash. https://bresportfolio.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/assignment-two/(opens in a new tab)
In the essay, I positioned one of my employers, The Capital Grille restaurant, as a an organization that functions as part of a larger discourse community. The assignment was to make an argument that demonstrates how discourse is an essential mechanism for sustaining such communities, so I argued in this essay that discourse in the restaurant industry is needed for members’ stress management.