Wednesday, June 10, 2009

discourse communities

Discourse communities seem to be groups of people that gather in some way to discuss one topic in specific. These people in this group follow unwritten rules and may have different opinions on the specific topic. Intercommunication is important in this community, whether it is by e-mail, a chat group, or some other means of communication.

Commonplace is a place that is united more strongly than discourse communities because the members all have the same opinions and goals, but it is the same concept as discourse communities.

2 comments:

  1. I think a commonplace is something that exists in a discourse community. But I do think you are right that they unite the community.

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  2. Hey Britta-
    Your definition for Discourse Community is right on the money. It might help to think of the DC as using communication more generally to reach goals. For example, lawyers are part of a DC that uses jargon and specific ideals (justice, truth) to reach the goal of serving the court system.

    A commonplace is a word, image, or term used as a sort of shortcut in communication for those in a discourse community. It is called a commonplace because it has a common, agreed upon meaning for the group.
    Jen

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