Zootopia Discourse Community Outlook

Defining Zootopia Sub-Discourse Communities

Three Sub-Communities In Zootopia

The Characters whom influence these communities.

The Challenges

Authors & Characters behind the film

The Authors/Directors/Producers: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Clark Spencer
(multimedia at Walt-Disney Animation Studios)
The Main Characters: Judy Hopps (Police Rabbit, Nick Wilde (Con-Artist Fox), Chief
Bogo (Police Chief African Buffalo), Dawn Bellwether (Unsuspecting Secretary Sheep),
Officer Benjamin (Police Cheetah Victim), Leodore Lionheart (Mayor Lion who is
framed)
Distinct Communities In Zootopia
The Police Community: This community focuses on the safe-keeping of Zootopia, whom
play a major role in figuring out the problems layed out by the Movie.
Animal Community: The movie divides this community as Savage vs. Non-Savage
animals that becomes the center of attention and issue in the film.
The Government Community: Through the many branches of government in the film, all
branches have an important role that influences the other two communites described
above, thus also manipulating the viewers attention.
Plot of the film and Zootopia as a Whole Main Community.

In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work

together to uncover a conspiracy. The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no

other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a

melting pot where animals from every environment live together-a place where no matter what

you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie

Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big,

tough animals isn't so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a
case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the

mystery. (Disney, 2016)

The movie plot, albeit an unusual cynical one, sets-up a mystery that becomes affecting animals

to act in an unusual but aggressive way. Thus, the communities involved, all interconnected,

surround the main plot and become influenced to act out in their own way, the police community

trying to solve the mystery, the animal community becoming divisive through the film, and

government community trying to reign in control whilst itself being manipulated by an

unsuspecting third party that influences a role in the film itself.

First Community: The Police Force of Zootopia (Police Community)

Common Goal: The common goal of this community is that the Police Force is beginning to

unravel a mystery that circulates through the city, whilst at the same time understanding the

phenomena, they are also trying to maintain order and peace through the film. Ultimately, their

goal becomes more centric and thus target the mystery itself that begins to affect their

community as well. Thus this serves as the broadly agreed set of public goals.

Mechanisms of Intercommunication: Through the film, the police force is in constant

communication with each other, thus not only having relevant findings of their tasks, but also

keeping a consistent level of communication amongst the police community members. For

instance, the rabbit character Judy Hopps has to submit her findings and reports with the police

HQ and her authoritative figure responsible for her actions being the African Buffalo Chief

Bogo. Though her findings at first may be conflictive, she is able to communicate amongst her

police members that serve alongside her and serving the communitys main interest when
becoming involved in communication with each other. Therefore this establishes the mechanisms

of communication amongst its members.

Information Exchange: As the movie progresses, the character Judy Hopps and her informal

partner Nick Wilde the Fox, are constantly receiving feedback from their findings and interviews

they conduct out on the city, or field to be more precise. Thus these relevant findings that connect

the mystery of the film are constantly reported to Police Chief Bogos, whom, he adversely is

constantly giving Judy Hopps the feedback she is not expecting. This creates a problem as she is

left to find ulterior motives to approach the mystery whilst at the same time providing aid to her

own community (police force) that dont take her serious enough for the sole purpose of being a

rabbit surrounded by animals of a more tougher complexity. This identifies the participatory

mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.

Genres: The police force in the movie is constantly using reports and analysis of their findings

to better understand what mystery they are trying to narrow down. Thus, this set of genre is

evident as the police use these types of communication material to enhance their abilities as a

community. Aside from that, Judy Hopps the rabbit is also conducting interviews and taking

notes that further her aim in the film, helping her in the mission she undertook. Therefore, this

satisfies the principle of how a discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more

genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.

Lexis: The Police community share a lexis that only they understand when it involves

communicating with each other. Such lexis comes in the forms of police codes which abbreviate

actions any officer is undertaking when in the field. Judy Hopps is also a subject to lexis as she

compiles reports that are submitted to her supervisor, again the Chief Bogo, whom only he can

read, understand, and refer back and communicate with Judy, either when providing feedback or
assigning her a different task. The police also use forms of tactics only relevant to them in order

to purposely deceive any thugs or criminals found in the movie, thus furthering their aim as a

community as a whole. Precedent being the in addition to owning genres, a discourse community

has acquired a specific lexis.

Members: Police Officer Judy Hopps (the rabbit), Officer Benjamin Clawhauser (the cheetah),

the Police Chief of Zootopia Chief Bogo (African Buffalo). These members are all part of this

community as they all share these above traits aforementioned and share the same level of

professionalism when it comes to serving in the police community, the police interactions

between them that follows, and ultimately their contributions that are dependent on them.

Concluding with a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and

discoursal expertise.

Conclusion for this Community: The methods described formulate the police community with

a clear and concise objective. The community also clearly represent a manner of communication

as well as interaction among others members of the group, whether formal or informal. Thus the

subject(s) described serve as character as well as the motif. The tools the police community use

is a set of composed procedures they follow otherwise known as protocols to each adverse effect

that takes place in the movie. Their motives are clear, as they set out as a community as a whole

to solve the mysterious phenomena that causes harm, and fear in Zootopia, as they serve to

protect the animals best interests, public safety. Though they are police, they still follow rules

within their own structured community, whether its answering to higher authority in their

community such as advisors or superiors, or informal such as the mayor of Zootopia. The

Community is the Police Force, a community bound to accomplish the same goals. Lastly the

division of labor is divided in an hierarchical manner, in e.g. The Police Chief mandating orders
or establishing principles that all other police officers must follow, a chain of command

depending on Officers rank, finishing with Judy as a recruit.

Second Community: The Animal Citizens of Zootopia (Animal Community)

Common Goal: As the film portrays Zootopia, the main goal of the entire animal community is

to live amongst each other in trust and harmony. The main goal is to eliminate discrimination

of animals based on their backgrounds or races. For instance, one way the movie sets to place

this as the major goal, is to remind the audience of what the main story plot is; the mystery that

turns Carnivorous animals Savage. Therefore, being a common goal is not only to solve the

mystery that is causing certain animals to go bezerk, but to also eliminate the idea that certain

animals cant be trusted solely on their backgrounds or races. Also to eliminate the idea of

discrimination the certain animals are top of the food chain, as evidence of the Mayor being a

Lion, and in turn giving power back to the defenseless non-savage, non-carnivorous animals.

This discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals.

Mechanisms of Intercommunication: Animals in Zootopia have their ways of communicating

amongst themselves. Whether having access to a telephone line, having the ability to write or

receive emails, having their actions interpreted through physical mail, and lastly the ability of

every type of animal to communicate amongst each other regardless of their Race as a whole. A

discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members.

Information Exchange: The animals all interact with each other through multiple outlets, such

as the media being a major role of keeping animals informed of what is happening and what is

stirring-up Zootopia. Therefore the media serves as a broad mechanism that when split, it can

be accessed by various means such as newspapers, television news, public addresses, and
generally communication amongst themselves via friends or family members. A discourse

community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.

Genres: The main genre for the animals is having the ability to interpret and see constantly what

is happening around their surroundings, especially with the mystery of the movie haunting them

in one way or another. This is served through animals having access to news outlets that allow

them to constantly be informed of the situations that affect Zootopia, secondary to the Police

Community who serve the Animal Community in means of protection and public safety

announcements (Discourse Community Map begins Here). Genre is communication, as the most

evident strength in this film for this community. A discourse community utilizes and hence

possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims.

Lexis: Though for this community finding a lexis may be difficult, the animals still have a form

of communicating amongst themselves as well as being able to live amongst themselves. Thus,

the lexis can be as to how the animals are organized amongst themselves. Animals who have

created a complex system of living amongst each other regardless of race or backgrounds have

created a unique lexis that allows them to fully live together as well as communicate with each

other formally or informally, by means of having a police force as well as a government.

(Discourse Community Map Connects Here). In addition to owning genres, a discourse

community has acquired a specific lexis.

Members: All the animals in this community serve as its members, as they all demonstrate a

will to live together, but also form two communities that come from animals (the police &

government communities). Zootopia is an animal community that serve each other, from police

jobs, government jobs, and an entire private sector. A discourse community has a threshold level

of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise.

Conclusion for this Community: The animal community is entrenched to figure out what is

happening in Zootopia, as their system of living together becomes disrupted through fear and

manipulation of facts. Subjects are the animals who become either the aggressors or the victims

in this same community. Tools are the media and methods of communication amongst

themselves the animals. Motives are to live amongst each other again without fear. Rules all

animals follow the law, those who dont are then chased by the police force of Zootopia.

Community of the Animals of Zootopia. Division Of Labor as like any other city, Zootopia has a

diverse animal community with a range of jobs and professions that have them answering to

different levels of labor.

Third Community: The Government of Zootopia (Government Community)

Common Goal: The common goal for this community becomes blurred when the plot of the

movie reveals that a conspiracy is unveiled at the government level. Firstly, the mayor of

Zootopia Mayor Lionheart is framed for being the one responsible of turning carnivorous

animals savage. Later in the movie is revealed that the least suspected actor behind the

conspiracy is the secretary of the Mayor being the sheep character Dawn Bellwether. Although at

first the intentions might not seem beneficial for the animal community, the main objective of the

government community is to understand what has caused a situation that became a problem in

Zootopia. Ultimately the other two communities (Police, & Animal) resolve the interior conflicts

of the government community, setting it back on track of its main goal; to serve the animals of

Zootopia. This discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals.\

Mechanisms of Intercommunication: The government community of Zootopia is split into

multiple departments that allow its citizens to access pertinent information they require, or other

different types of requirements such as a drivers license for animals. Anyhow, Judy Hopps is
seeing gathering information she requires from this community in order to pursue her objective.

She does this by traveling alongside Nick to the DMV, where this department of the local

government of Zootopia is operated by Sloths whom can access and provide Judy with the

information she seeks, thus allowing them to exchange information that can later be translated to

intelligence. A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members.

Information Exchange: The movie demonstrates certain levels of the Zootopia government

exchanging information within departments, one such example is the how the Police of Zootopia

keep the Government informed of what actions are being taken to assess the situations that put in

risk Zootopia, as well as what is being done, and what exactly troubles Zootopia and its citizens.

Another level is how Judy, as mentioned before, communicates with the governments DMV in

order to exchange information with police. A discourse community uses its participatory

mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.

Genres: The government community begins to use a genre that allows them to communicate

with each other, being that of documentation, technical analysis provided by the police, and news

information provided to them by the News media. Keeping detailed records of their citizens is

also another genre that allows them to formally have a better service to their communities in

Zootopia they serve. A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in

the communicative furtherance of its aims.

Lexis: The government community of Zootopia formulate their own Lexis by being having a

level of discussion only government members would understand. Though not difficult to

understand for a citizen of Zootopia, the Government Lexis can serve as a level of profession

that allow them to regulate Zootopia, Provide the tools necessary for the police of Zootopia, and
ultimately pass laws as a government does. In addition to owning genres, a discourse community

has acquired a specific lexis.

Members: Mayor Lionheart mayor of Zootopia, Secretary Dawn who ultimately frames her own

boss and mayor. Chief Bogos, in charge of securing Zootopia for the benefit of the Government,

and under the government.

Conclusion: This Government community has the most difficult yet complex role in the film,

however it is a community that serves its purpose in the entire Community Map that connects the

Police Community and Animal Community and explains each of their roles whilst keeping them

interconnected.