Paper #1

Essay Assignment #1 – Discourse Community Analysis
Davidson – English 102

M 1/26: Introduction Due
W 1/28: Revised Introduction and Outlines Due
F 1/30: Explanation of Discourse Community Due

M 2/2: Explanation of Topic Due
W 2/4: Rough Draft #1 Due (Minimum TWO pages)
F 2/6: Writing workshop

M 2/9: Outside Sources Due
W 2/11: Rough Draft #2 Due (Minimum FOUR pages)
F 2/13: Conclusion Due

M 2/16: Rough Draft #3 Due (Minimum FIVE pages)
W 2/18: In-class writing workshop
F 2/20: Final Papers Due. Paper #2 Assigned


FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is FOUR complete pages. Not three pages and a few lines onto the fourth page – four complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. Plagiarism on any level will result in failure of the entire course and your work will be turned over to the proper university officials, which may in turn lead to suspensions or expulsions. You will need to hand in a paper copy and submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Friday, February 20th.


GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
In this first project you will be writing a paper in which you report on how a discourse community (groups of people who share common goals, values, assumptions, behaviors and ways of thinking about and talking about the world) that you belong to understands and defines a topic you have chosen. That is, you will practice the process of defining on at least three levels. First, you will need to show how some group you belong to does in fact constitute a discourse community in all five ways (shared language; common goals/values/assumption/beliefs; membership; shared practices/behaviors; and common ways of communicating with each other.) Next, you will need to describe how this group tends to understand and view issues related to your topic, providing an extended/stipulative definition of your topic from this group’s perspective. Finally, you will need to explain why this way of defining your topic makes sense for this community, and how examining how this community approaches your topic helps us understand something about the group we might not otherwise be able to.
For example, someone who is a Buddhist might want to explore the ways in which the Buddhist community in Mississippi approaches your topic. But first, the writer would need to explain in specific ways how and why Buddhists can be said to belong to a discourse community. That is, the writer would probably want describe some of the specific language, beliefs, values, goals, communicative practices and behaviors that make this community distinct, as well as the ways people become members of this community and why. Specifically, a writer might explain how Buddhists all share the goal of attaining enlightenment (Nirvana) through a practice of meditation and reflection aimed at lessening the harm each individual brings to other beings in the world. In the process, the writer might need to briefly explain some of the principles of Buddhism (i.e., the Four Noble Truths; reincarnation; “karma” and “dharma”; etc.), and various ways that Buddhists in Mississippi have of interacting and communicating with one another (i.e., specific temples or meditation centers; websites, newsletters, study groups; etc.) Having established the various ways that Buddhists can be said to form a distinct discourse community, the writer would then want to offer a definition of your topic that reflects Buddhist attitudes and ways of perceiving the world. The writer would then need to explain what this definition means, and what values and assumptions it embodies. Finally, the writer might want to comment on how such a “Buddhist” definition of the topic differs from the ways other people or groups approach the topic, and what larger implications this all might have (for an understanding of Buddhism; of the topic in general; or the nature of perspective itself.)

Whichever group you choose to write about for this project, you will need to provide enough specific examples, details, and evidence to allow someone who is not a member of this community to gain a basic understanding of it and its views on your topic. To do this well you will certainly want to rely on your own first-hand knowledge and experiences as a member of the group; but you may also need to do some additional research to fill in the gaps. That is, you may want to talk to other members of this community (particularly those who may have more authority or knowledge of the central beliefs and assumptions of the group); or you may want to consult library or internet sources that might provide additional insights or information regarding your group and its values, practices and beliefs. Remember, as readers we will expect you to write authoritatively and knowledgably about your topic. That does not mean you need to be a complete expert on the topic, but you will need to provide accurate, reasonable and credible evidence to support your claims.