Introduction

Rhetoric and Composition writing studies, is a Discourse Community because it includes all six

characteristics of Swales (1990). A Discourse Community is a group of people sharing a

common and distinct mode of communication, and discourse, which is process of

communicating thought by means of language, within a particular domain of intellectual or

social activity. Swales six characteristics are composed of, common public goals/goods,

intercommunication mechanisms, looped intercommunication, dedicated genres, specialized

vocabulary, and self- sustaining hierarchy. This class would be considered a discourse

community, because it is a learning community, and incorporates these qualities into the course

work required. The Community being studied, is School of Nursing, because it is good to want to

help assist people, and want to have the knowledge needed to specialize in something more in

depth. This would be contemplated as a discourse community, because it is an environment,

composed of a group of people sharing the social view, or specific field or work.

Literature Review

John Swales composed a thesis about, discourse community intending to have the discourse

operate within conventions, and can be used to group ideas around, that this discourse is

epistemic or constitutive. Some issues, he addressed, was the idea of discourse community,

cannot be defined yet, but like certain terms, it is suggestive to the main idea rather than a settled

notion. Social view, raises concerns, as well as questions, which can be resolved. Another issue

addressed, is that definitions enhance the reciprocity of discourse and community afflict pain in

the fear of ending up circular. Also, included, is literacy taking away locality or the position of

something, and parochiality, an issue trivial to a local area, for members to communicate in

distant places. Norton field guide is the textbook we use for class, and it discusses discourse
community in the case that it describes it as a rhetorical situation, that relates to discourse

community, because they both include genres, and also and audience. In Writing Skills in

Nursing and Healthcare, this book pertains results on engaging education for the duration of

one's career. Also, that the aging of the population has affected the amount of nursing shortages,

causing more complex factors. There is an increasing amount of train researchers needed in both

academic and professional positions.

Methods

Writing skills in nursing and healthcare, is a great book that shows you how to develop a thesis

proposal, critical reading and writing skills and other strategies to help compose your paper and

have a more professional sense of how to write a research documentation. Some information

analyzed, was literature review being described as an evaluation of literature, meaning that you

can base in on its strengths and weaknesses, and come to a conclusion of the understanding of

what is being asked. As for Norton field guide, it is implying that everything has a purpose and it

explains how we can express thoughts, and emotions, to attain a more speculative view. These

sources are extremely useful, and were great secondary sources. In class discussions are and

lectures, are probably the most useful type of source, because if something is hard to understand,

then the class can ask questions to clarify their confusion. Observations mostly examined would

be the mechanisms and genres associated with class, for example our journals, and textbooks.

Discussion

The class RWS has many shared goals for example, wanting to improve in certain skills.

Common goals that students share is wanting to improve on reading and writing, and

communication skills. Comprehension, is something a lot of people struggle with, and in this
discourse community we will learn certain skills, to help better our understanding of what we are

reading. Communication is important because we need to know how to communicate with our

audience, and provide our writing with details that entertain, but also gives a clear message.

Another shared goal would be to pass this class, and to have hopefully gained knowledge about

rhetoric and other writing skills. A goal common between the public, would be to improve

communication skills so that it benefits the rest of society and we learn to write and speak in a

more academic manner.

Rws is a discourse community because it uses multiple intercommunication mechanisms. One

mechanism would be face to face interaction because when students attend class, have multiple

class discussions, and have the advantage to ask questions, and get help from the professor, and

other peers. Lectures are a type of mechanism because we are receiving information important to

the specific topic, we are learning about. Not only are there mechanisms dealt in the classroom,

but also outside the class such as technologies like blackboard, which is a great and easy way to

keep track of all the course assignments and readings. We also have discussion boards online,

that we write our reflections on so we can go back and see what we talked about that class

period. Another mechanism used in this community is group work, we usually are separated into

groups and we are asked to discuss a subject, and I find this to be extremely helpful because you

get someone else's perspective and point of view, you may not necessarily contemplated.

The purposes of these mechanisms are to aid us into success and give us the opportunity to

proceed to the next step. One main purpose is to get a two-way interaction, one example would

be professor to student, and that is to receive feedback, and to improve techniques. Another

would be to gain knowledge, and be able to apply this knowledge to your classes, and overall

academic career. Response and Feedback are good examples also, because assuming you ask the
correct questions and fully discuss a topic, you will receive feedback, to help improve your

writing or any assignment given. Rhetoric is the art of persuasive writing, and in this discourse

community we will learn certain aspects, to ameliorate our writing therefore, helping our

communication skills, not just in speaking but also in our academic writing. Lastly the purpose

of these mechanisms, are to help us comprehend what we are reading and writing, making it

easier to understand what is given to us.

There are many genres associated with Rws, making it a discourse community. Topics, are a type

of genre because, the specific topics we discuss, are only for rhetoric writing and skills. Our

syllabus, is great specimen because it is directed only towards our writing community and

classroom. A genre that I find extremely helpful is our composition notebooks, because we write

down all of all notes, and our reflections, making it easy to flip back to and review. Vlogs, along

with powerpoints would be under the category of genres, due to the fact, they are only related to

this discourse community. The Norton Field Guide, would also be a genre, because it is directed

only to rhetoric, and other forms of writing.

Specialized Language, is another characteristic of swales, and is also needed in Rws for it to be

considered a discourse community. We use specialized vocabulary, for example, expository,

constraints, exigence, and audience, which are explicitly used in this type of community, and

only have meaning inside the classroom. Rhetoric is a term, we will be using throughout the

semester and will help to improve the way we communicate in our writing. Declarative is also, a

vocabulary word, we associate to this class, because that means you are making a claim, or

declaring a statement of something. Having specific terminology indeed makes this a discourse

community and helps us to also extend our vocabulary.

Expertise is having expert skills in a certain field. Expertise can come from Professors, Students,

and Authors/Sources, which could be resembling a ladder starting with the university at the top.

Then following would be the professors because they have a proficiency in the degree of their

choosing. Newcomers, such as myself or other students, would be next in that ladder because we

do obtain certain skills, and bring those into an academic setting but still have much to learn.

Authors, and other sources, can provide us with specific information needed to acquire research

or gain information on a subject. After the ladder is complete, it will continue to switch up, the

newcomers will be able to move up, and can possibly be at the top and achieve prosperity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have found this course to indeed be a Discourse Community, due to

communication being the key to success, and being defined as needing at least to or more parties,

and having to relate to some human activity. I can use this knowledge to further educate myself,

and pursue a more productive academic career. Communication also depends on, the

understanding of the other party, or being capable to comprehend a subject, or issue. One can

also describe communication, to be the exchanging of thoughts or information and can transmit

information more efficiently. I can use this information to better my writing and have a more

unique type of writing, while including everything needed to propose an academic paper.

Sources

Taylor, Dena Bain. "Writing Skills in Nursing and Healthcare." A guide completing
succesfuldisserations and thesis, 2014.
Bullock, Richard , Maureen Goggin, and Francine Weinburg. "The Norton Field Guide to
writing and readings and handbook." 4th Edition, 2016.
Swales, John. "The concept of Discourse Community." Discourse Community, 1990.