Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dear Reader,
Constructing this paper has given me a stable foundation that I will use for all future writing
projects. I was able to dive into the three most important stages of this process in order to create
a well-developed paper that adequately meets all of the requirements listed in the prompt. The
first leg was the research stage, where I gathered information from various authors about
discourse community guidelines and genres as well as observing my own community to
understand where and what I would analyze in the paper. After I dissected this information, I was
onto the second phase of the project, where I wrote multiple smaller drafts and one full rough
draft of the final paper that I and other classmates ultimately reviewed and critiqued to become
the best paper possible. The final step in the writing process was considering all feedback and
comments, and conclusively developing my final draft of the paper, which is a collection of my
knowledge, research, student criticism, and hard-work.
During this process, I decided on three writing choices that I felt were the best fit for my writing
style, the first being the topic of the paper. I wrote about Greek life because I am very passionate
about it, and consistently being active in my community enabled me to do constant research.
Secondly, I chose to use a more formal tone with a mostly third-person viewpoint that had very
few mentions of myself, purely because I feel it has a more academically appropriate tone while
reading. My third choice was using a large word choice. I used a thesaurus constantly because
writing sounds more intelligent when certain words are not constantly repeated.
Reading John Swales The Concept of a Discourse Community helped me greatly through this
process because it helped me identify the main characteristics of my social location that was
necessary to delve on in the essay. Kerry Dirk was also an important read because I was able to
understand the full concept of what a genre really is and how prevalent they are in our lives.
If I had more time to work on this paper, I would have incorporated more genres into my writing.
I would have liked to discuss other genres that are very common throughout Greek life. I would
appreciate feedback about whether or not my paper was repetitive, and also about my transitions
from paragraph to paragraph. Commented [MOU1]: See my comments below. (With
regard to transitions, you did a good job!)
Sincerely,
Hunter Lynch
PB1: Greek Life
The discourse community that I am choosing to focus on is an IFC fraternity associated
with UCSB. I choose this to focus my writing on because it is an organization that I am very
community.
The first condition that is outlined by John Swales in his article titled The Concept of
Discourse Community is that a set of rules must be agreed upon by members of the specific
community. My fraternity does indeed meet this criterion, having the most important rule being
that everyone is treated as a member of a collective family. While we are not tied by blood, we
are to act as a support group as a family would. This along with other rules such as respect
towards elder members, cooperation on household chores, etc. is the governing body that all
Secondly, the fraternity meets the guideline that there must be a clear form of
communication between all members. Every member speaks and writes English as a medium of
communication. Communication between all the brothers can be traced to face-to-face contact,
emails, text messages, and notes that may be left around the house. Most frequent are texts,
which is the main mechanism that keeps everyone connected. This communication ensures that
all the brothers are up to date on all happenings that go on in the house.
The third criteria met by the fraternity is that participation must grant access to important
information that leads to the completion of the shared goal. This is done through philanthropy
events that inform the public of world issues that the fraternity is keen on helping. These events
raise money that is donated to the benefit of specific charities and organizations. The public is
welcomed at these events so that awareness is more widespread than just members of the
fraternity.
The fourth criteria are that it has developed a set of expectations that everyone should
follow in order to have a well-functioning community. It is expected that all members are keen
on social interaction, as that is one of the main goals of fraternities everywhere. A crucial genre
The fraternity follows the fifth criteria which are that the communities need to be able to
fraternities, which are abbreviated in Greek letters and prominently featured on the outside of the
Lastly, there are always people coming into and leaving the community through
recruitment of new members. Each fall and spring, fraternities recruit new members. These
incoming members are surrounded by existing members who decide if their values align. If so,
they will be admitted as a new brother to the group. Members are in the fraternity for life, so
The genre most commonly used regarding communication within Greek life would be the
text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main genre of communication. Texts
are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or just to make a
joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,
Firstly, the context and function of text messages are to establish contact with the desired
recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the
message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be received at any time after
being delivered. The sender will have a message to convey and using his phone, will send the
message to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly,
however. It can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to
inform your brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be
said through text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity,
text messages are used more commonly for specific purposes. This includes asking people out to
eat, inviting girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the week. Texts are so crucial because the
reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is
no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be
coordinated within three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of
communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.
Secondly, the textual features of a text message vary significantly based on the personal
styles of each writer. In general, though, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations,
and a lack of correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the
point, so wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the
readers through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many
rhetoric appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may
have received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, or written with visible emotion, all of which
are written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to
write a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts,
because they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be
found in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones sent to their mothers. To emphasize how
prevalent slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the
word “friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This
example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no
right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general patterns described.
Thirdly, the implied and assumed features are relatively clear. Readers and writers must
appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human conversations are
no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this, especially for quick conversations that do
not need to be time-consuming. Anyone with a phone and people to message is invited to
participate. However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because
they are private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and
plans because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude
towards the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.
Within my discourse community of greek life, texts are so important. All members can
quickly communicate with each other. It is crucial for event planning, future social interactions,
and simple conversations. It simplifies language connections and is casual because there is no
need for perfect writing. All things considered, text messages are the most important genre used
in the fraternity, and its use makes life simpler for both readers and writers.
1. Are my ideas repetitive throughout the essay?
as a male student (accompanied by no girls) attempting to get into a frat party. In other words, it
this very group of people, referred to as Greek life. Greek life is a connection of frats and
sororities that reside in connection with colleges and universities across the nation. It contains
groups of like-minded people who have the main goals of doing community service, forming
strong human connections, and being strong proponents of campus social life. The common set
of ideas on which the group is governed is that all members of the fraternity are considered
brothers. Everyone is treated as a member of a collective family, that while we are not tied by
blood, we act as a support group as a family would. The social behavior that is unique to our
members is that we all thrive on frequent social interaction. All representatives of the fraternity
very much enjoy to be in the midst of social happenings and thrive being in the presence of
community. As a member of a fraternal organization, I have been able to dissect the very nature
of Greek life and how it does indeed fall under the umbrella of a “social location”.
According to the author of The Concept of Discourse Community, English linguist John
Swales outlines six criteria that must be observed to be considered a discourse community. The
six criteria are the following: a set of rules must be agreed upon by members of the specific
community, there must be a clear form of communication between all members, participation
must grant access to important information that leads to the completion of the shared goal, there
is a developed set of expectations that everyone should follow in order to have a well-
effectively, and there are always people coming into and leaving the community through
recruitment of new members. He notes that in order to meet the criteria, all points must be
necessary to determine the genre upon which communication, which is the most essential aspect
text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main genre of communication. Texts
are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or just to make a
joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,
The context and function of text messages are to establish contact with the desired
recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the
message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be received at any time after
being delivered. The sender will have a message to convey and using his phone, will send the
message to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly,
however. It can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to
inform your brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be
said through text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity,
text messages are used more commonly for specific purposes. This includes asking people out to
eat, inviting girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the week. Texts are so crucial because the
reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is
no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be
coordinated within three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of
communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.
Textual features of a text message vary significantly based on the personal styles of each
writer. In general, though, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations, and a lack of
correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the point, so
wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the readers
through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many rhetoric
appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may have
received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, or written with visible emotion, all of which are
written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to write
a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts, because
they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be found
in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones sent to their mothers. To emphasize how prevalent
slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the word
“friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This
example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no
right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general patterns described.
The implied and assumed features regarding text messages are relatively clear. Readers
and writers must appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human
conversations are no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this, especially for quick
conversations that do not need to be time-consuming. This shift away from extended phone calls
and in-person conversations has given rise for text messages to become the most popular
medium of communication. Anyone with a phone and people to message is invited to participate.
However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because they are
private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and plans
because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude towards
the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.
To conclude, the social location must be a group in which a specific language, set of
ideas, or form of social behavior is unique to members within the community. Within my
discourse community of greek life, it is clear that texts are the genre which acts as the backbone
in which we are able to communicate. All members can instantly connect with each other, which
is crucial for event planning, future social interactions, and simple conversations. It simplifies
language connections while also being casual because there is no need for perfect writing in
common conversations (as long as the true message can still be deciphered). All things
considered, text messages are the most important genre used in the fraternity, and its use makes
To give a specific definition of a discourse community is about as simple as a male Deleted: exactly what
Deleted: is
student (accompanied by no girls) attempting to get into a frat party. In other words, it is Commented [MOU2]: I’m not sure whether this
comparison works very well and whether it is
seemingly hopeless. But surprisingly enough, discourse communities can be illustrated by this appropriate for a college paper.
very group of people, known as Greek life. Greek life is a connection of fraternities and Commented [MOU3]: I see how you’re trying to connect
the concept “discourse community” and Greek life but
there might be other (more effective) ways to do so.
sororities that reside in connection with colleges and universities across the nation. It contains
Formatted: Highlight
groups of like-minded people who have the main goals of intellectual awareness, social Deleted: s
Formatted: Highlight
responsibility, integrity, brotherly love and being strong proponents of campus social life. The Commented [MOU4]: Here you’re talking about both
sororities and fraternities. Perhaps, mutual respect will
be a better word choice.
common set of ideas on which the group is governed is that all members of the fraternity are
are not tied by blood, we act as a support group as would a family. The social behavior that is Commented [MOU5]: This construction should be
revised.
unique to our members is that we all thrive on frequent social interaction because all
representatives of the fraternity very much enjoy to be in the midst of social happenings and
thrive being in the presence of others. I choose to focus this project on this because it is an Commented [MOU6]: This sentence repeats the same
thought three times.
organization that I am very passionate about, and it adequately meets the requirements to be Deleted: my writing
considered a discourse community. As a member of a fraternal organization, I have been able to Commented [MOU7]: This introduction should explain
what a discourse community is (don’t forget to highlight
how it is different from a community). In addition, who
dissect the very nature of Greek life and how it does indeed fall under the umbrella of a “social set these requirements?
According to the author of “The Concept of Discourse Community,” English linguist Commented [MOU9]: Because it’s an article, it should
be in quotation marks.
John Swales outlines six criteria that must be observed to be considered a discourse community. Formatted: Font: Not Italic
The six criteria are the following: the group must have a set of rules must be agreed upon by
members of the specific community, there must be a clear form of communication between all
members, participation must grant access to important information that leads to the completion
of the shared goal, there is a developed set of expectations that everyone should follow in order
communicate effectively, and there are always people coming into and leaving the community
through recruitment of new members. He notes that in order to meet the criteria, all points must
necessary to determine the genre in which communication, which is the most essential aspect of
The genre most commonly used regarding communication within Greek life would be the
text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main medium of communication. Texts
are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or to simply make a
joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,
The context and function of text messages is to establish contact with the desired
recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the
message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be read at any time after being Deleted: received
delivered. The sender has a message to convey and using his phone, he/she will send the message
to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly, however. It
can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to inform your
brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be said through Commented [MOU11]: New idea? In the first half of this
paragraph, you discuss methods of sending and
receiving texts. Now you are moving to a completely
text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity, text messages new idea.
are used more commonly for specific purposes, which includes asking people out to eat, inviting
girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the upcoming weeks. Texts are so crucial because the
reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is
no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be
coordinated through only three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of Commented [MOU12]: This sentence can be moved up
to the beginning of the paragraph. What do you think?
communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.
Textual features of a text message vary significantly according to the personal styles of
each writer. In general however, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations, and a
lack of correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the point, Commented [MOU13]: “direct” and “to the point” are
close in their meaning. To avoid redundancy, pick just
one.
so wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the
readers through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many
rhetoric appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may
have received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, and written with visible emotion, all of which
are written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to
write a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts,
because they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be Commented [MOU14]: Examples? (+citations)
found in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones they send to their mothers. To emphasize how
prevalent slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the
word “friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This
example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no
right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general rules described.
The implied and assumed features regarding text messages are relatively clear. Readers
and writers must appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human
conversations are no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this especially for quick
conversations that have no need to be time-consuming. This shift away from extended phone
calls and in-person conversations has given rise for text messages to become the most popular
form of communication. Anyone with a phone and friends to message is welcome to participate.
However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because they are
private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and plans
because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude towards
the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.
To conclude, the social location must be a group in which a specific language, set of
ideas, or form of social behavior is unique to members within the community. Within my
discourse community of greek life, it is clear that texts are the genre which acts as the backbone
in which we are able to communicate. All members can instantly connect with each other,
whether it is for crucial event planning, future social interactions, and simple conversations. It
simplifies language connections while also being casual because there is no need for perfect
writing in common conversations (as long as the true message can still be deciphered). All things
considered, text messages are the most important genre used in the fraternity, and its use makes