Kevin Gomez M.

Discourse communities

Humans are social creatures by nature. Alone we can accomplish a lot, but as a

community we can go beyond and discover as well as explore new ideas that might have

not come to fruition with just one mind at work. A discourse community is a way in which

many people can come together and talk about a specific topic, and at the same time have a

set of common goals about what to achieve regarding said topic. We all belong to one; one

way or another, and they become part of our daily life. A student like me can belong to

many, and currently the main ones I belong to are my family, UTEP student body,

Catholicism and to the Mexican community. All these communities help shape who you

become and have distinct qualities and goals.

A family is a discourse community because it has the common goal of supporting and

taking care of each other. You become or join a family by being born into it, which makes

you related by blood, but also by having a strong with the members. The conventions of

this community include being formal or informal with one another, depending of the type

of relationship you carry with the person, as well as the level of respect. You usually

engage in greetings and goodbyes by hugging or giving a kiss on the cheek. The genres,

which are the ways of communicating within said community, can be gatherings, one on

one speech, texting and phone calls, and the topics can go from everyday life to personal

problems.

The UTEP student body is also included because they have the main goal of pursuing

education and supporting their fellow classmates in any academic area, as well as building

a nurturing environment where we can develop personal growth. Joining the community
Kevin Gomez M.

can be done by finishing your basic education all the way through high school, and taking

admissions tests and the SATs so you can be admitted into the university. Picking a major

is also an important part of joining the community as you have to set a clear path for your

higher education. The genres of this community include examinations, homework

assignments, reports, books, journals, tutoring and study sessions which bring students

together to share their knowledge and help each other further their studies so they can

succeed in class. The topics covered in this community vary on the major of each student.

They can be math, literature, business, marketing, engineering, and natural and social

sciences.

Religion has an important place in the world as it is the thing that may be holding our

morals and values in place. Catholicism is a community in which people come together to

celebrate the word of God and his love of mankind. To join it one primarily has to have

faith and a strong belief in a higher power. Getting baptized is also a big requirement for

Catholicism, and this usually happens when you are still a child and in rare cases as a

teenager or as an adult. Following the Ten Commandments and knowing the sacraments is

also important. People in the community treat each other with respect and care, and are

always looking to help those in need. Politeness and greetings abound when attending mass

or church seminars, which are the usual genres for the community. Praying and singing is

also another way of communicating with each other and God.

And finally one big community, a country: Mexicans. Being part of this group can only

come by being born in the country or being raised by a Mexican family with all the culture

and values of the community. The conventions include speaking Spanish, as it is the main

language of Mexico, as well as being polite with each other, but also informal with people
Kevin Gomez M.

you have a more extended bond with. A lot of colloquial language is used between

members who have known each other for some time, or are related, and therefore it is

common to hear words other people from other countries might not use. Topics include all

current events regarding the country as well as the various cultural ones that people engage

in such as fundraisers, recreation, fairs, and many others. Being part of this big community

is belonging to a rich culture, full of vivid customs and generally good values.

As we found out, discourse communities are a big part of our life. We all engage with

people on a daily basis and belong to groups that have a certain goal. Being part of

something bigger than ourselves helps us challenge the way we look at how the world

works, as well as helping us discover more things we might have not known were out there.

Having the support of your peers and knowing you arent alone is what gives us a reason to

move forward and explore new possibilities.

Kevin Gomez M.

Brief discussion:

What I found the hardest to figure out about our discourse map were the conventions of
each community. Knowing the way we usually interact within our groups may be easy,
because we do it every day and it has almost become second nature, but when trying to put
it into words it becomes less clear. Explaining certain behaviors or customs can be vexing
because we all have different points of view and interpret the situations and circumstances
within a different context.