Discourse Community Analysis

Discourse Community Analysis

A discourse community can be defined as a group of persons with common goals and utilizes communication to accomplish these goals.  According to Swales, a discourse community has six characteristics that distinguish it from other social groups. These six characteristics include common goals, mechanisms of intercommunication, participatory mechanisms, unique genres, lexis, and members with expertise(Swales 24). Therefore, in this paper, I am going to focus on one discourse community that I have been observing.

The discourse community that I am going to discuss is the Christian Church St. Agatha. The Church is located in my neighborhood, and I have been attending since I was young.  St. Agatha Church comprises of individuals who share the same beliefs and practices. Nevertheless, it is a discourse community because it possesses the six characteristics explained by Swales. First, the community has a set of goals that each member strives to achieve(Swales 24).  These goals are derived from the Bible’s teachings concerning what a Christian is required to do. The main objective of this community is to serve and worship God. As Christians, we were created by God to serve and make Him known to others. Thus, members of this Church attend mass every Sunday to worship God. The teachings administered during mass are in accordance with the Bible.

Other goals that the Church works towards achieving include helping the needy in society. The Church identifies vulnerable members of society and assists them by providing food, medicines, and even water. God teaches us to help others with the little we have. St. Agatha has been at the forefront of assisting the needy as a way of showing God’s love. Through helping others, the Church has been able to attract more congregants. People are pleased with what the Church is doing; hence they become interested in becoming part of this community.  Attracting more people to Christ is also another goal of the Church. Our mission as Christians is to prepare ourselves for Christ and to make others know him.  The Church holds Bible study programs each Wednesday, and all members of our society are welcomed.

Secondly, the Church has put in place various mechanisms of intercommunication. For instance, Church officials are responsible for distributing weekly bulletins. These documents provide essential information regarding the activities of the Church. The bulletin may contain details regarding where mass would be held as well as strategies to be applied while giving back to the community. As mentioned earlier, the bulletin is prepared and distributed by Church officials to various Church members. Other mechanisms of intercommunication include the use of social media platforms and meetings held by members. When it comes to social media platforms, the Church has created a WhatsApp and Facebook group where members are free to give their opinions concerning various activities to be undertaken by the Church. Through these social media platforms, members can discuss how goals set can be achieved.

On the other hand, during this pandemic, the Church has been holding virtual meetings with its members to push for various agendas.  By doing so, the Church has ensured that its operations are not affected by the pandemic. Thus, through these mechanisms of intercommunication, St. Agatha has been able to exchange ideas among its members and develop appropriate strategies for accomplishing the various goals set.

Thirdly, in the case of St. Agatha Church, the participatory mechanism, as discussed by Swales, is the bulletin.  The bulletin becomes that participatory mechanism because it is the official communication tool utilized by the Church. The head of the Church uses this tool to reach out to members concerning various issues to be discussed. When members are issued with bulletins, they evaluate the information and provide their feedback. In case of any inquiry, they direct their questions to officials who distributed the bulletin. The use of bulletins was adopted by the Church long ago, and it has proven to be effective in exchanging ideas pertaining to several agendas.

The bulletins are distributed on a weekly basis to inform members about activities that the Church intends to undertake. The document is well-written to avoid confusion and to ease communication. Moreover, they are published in large numbers to ensure that each member of the Church gets a copy. The feedback obtained from the congregants plays a vital role in ensuring that the Church accomplishes its objectives of serving God and helping the community.

Fourthly, the Church discusses several genres. According to Swales, a discourse community must have a genre that plays a role in achieving its objectives(Swales 25). The Church discusses various genres during mass services or even after mass.  For instance, it discusses Bible stories and family-related issues. When it comes to Bible stories, members are taught about what God requires us to do according to his teachings in the Bible. The Bible is the reference point to any activity that the Church wants to undertake.  Additionally, the Bible is full of stories of prophets that play a role in accomplishing God’s will. Through such teachings, Christians are able to understand what is required of them as God’s followers. Each Bible story discussed has a moral lesson that has to be embraced by church members. Values such as forgiveness, faithfulness, patience, and kindness can be restored by referring to the Bible’s stories.

Furthermore, the Church discusses family-related issues such as domestic violence and how to raise children in a Godly manner.  Domestic violence threatens the stability of many families; hence the Church is committed to addressing such issues to ensure that peace is enhanced in families. Peaceful families prosper, and they are able to raise kids in the right way. The church advocates for understanding and respect among couples. Thus, the issue of domestic violence is condemned by the Church because it threatens peace and harmony in families.  Moreover, parents are encouraged to raise their kids according to God’s teaching. Family is responsible for instilling acceptable values to their children to help them fit in society.

Fifthly, the Church has lexis or technical terminology. According to Swales, lexis is well-known to members of a discourse community, and they are used to accomplish their goals(Swales 25). Lexis can be challenging for outsiders to understand; thus, technical terminology is appropriate for individuals who have been members of a particular group for quite a long time. At St. Agatha, technical jargon such as a parish, diocese, and lent are used to refer to specific activities and events. For instance, lent refers to the period leading to Easter. Christians celebrate Easter to mark the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I have gotten used to these terms because I have been hearing them since I was young. Moreover, all members of the Church understand the meaning of these terms.

Lastly, members of St. Barnabas have different levels on the basis of expertise. At St. Agatha, the priest is the head of the Church because he has adequate knowledge and experience in running various operations of the Church. The priest leads mass, and he is consulted on various issues before action is taken. He also communicates with other heads of churches concerning the operations of the Church.  All the members of the Church look up to the priest for guidance and advice on emerging issues.

Other church members occupy the lower ranks. For instance, church officials carry out various duties such as keeping records, publishing bulletins, organizing events, and executing charity strategies. Each official is aware of his/her responsibilities, and they work hard to fulfill the objectives of the Church. These officials are appointed based on the knowledge and skills needed to ensure that duties are performed well. By doing so, it will be easy for the Church to undertake various activities successfully.

Conclusion

A discourse community is the one that has goals and uses communication to accomplish them. A perfect example of a discourse community is St. Agatha Church, where I attend.  The Church has all the six characteristics that Swales used to explain the concept of a discourse community. For example, it has common goals that all members strive to achieve. Furthermore, it has intercommunication and participatory mechanisms, among other characteristics that make up a discourse community. All these characteristics are meant to help the community accomplish its goals.