Barajas 1

My Future At-A-Glance A Discourse Community Ethnography There are many definitions of what can be considered a discourse community but none have thoroughly dissected what characterizes it. John Swales proposed six characteristics that can help you identify a discourse community. These groups may include and are not limited to hobby groups, athletic groups, or a profession. Many of us are unintentionally members of discourse community groups without even realizing it. Discourse Community groups may change throughout our life time and as we get ready for the future we consider the endless possibilities that will arise from our college education. As a result, I will explore the Nursing Home, Social Work field as a potential discourse community, will develop and understanding of the reading and writing habits that are necessary in the field and will share any other preparation that is needed to become an insider to the community. The Social work field is a group that falls under the six characteristics of a discourse Community listed by John Swales; broadly agreed set of common goals, has mechanisms of intercommunication amongst its members, uses it participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback, utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims, has a acquired some specific lexis and has a threshold level of members with suitable of relevant content and discoursal expertise (471-473). Social workers, Kohar Kelkelyan and Silvia Samuelson, who are both Social Workers in a Nursing Home, were very instrumental in helping me gather information about the role playing of people in their field. As expressed by both Kelkelyan and Samuelson, the shared goal of Social Workers is to help people

Barajas 2 reach their goals by proving them with resources, assessing patients initially and throughout their stay, making the connection between them and their families, outlining a plan of care for each patient and also by being a support system to the patients as well as their families. They are in constant communication with the patients and making sure that their needs are being met. As a group of the discourse community, members of this group stay connected with other people who share their same goals. To insure that they are staying on top of things and helping these patients achieve their goals they collaborate with other departments by organizing meetings that are held daily, weekly, and monthly in which they discuss information about the patients and share their observations with one another. Other meetings that Social Workers are required to lead and attend are meetings with family members which are usually held quarterly. They discuss the residents plan of care and gather information about the resident, information that can help understand them better and create a more accurate plan. This is one of their most affective modes of communication. It helps to minimize any information slipping through the cracks. Social workers are also very instrumental in the marketing piece of the community. They serve as tour guides when prospects walk through the door wanting to see what the community has to offer, they make connections with doctors who can help refer patients to the nursing home and distribute literature to other healthcare settings that offer information about their services. As we enter a new workplace, we must adapt to new rules and regulations in our reading and writing habits. As Elizabeth Wardle said, Learning to write in and for new situations and workplaces is complex in ways that go far beyond texts and cognitive abilities(521). Like in most professions, in the Social Work field reading and writing is very important. Communication methods that are mostly used include; email, text messages, phone calls, interview forms,

Barajas 3 nursing notes, community brochures and meetings. As expressed by Kelkelyan, I prefer phone calls because it makes it more personal rather than an email or a text. It all depends on the communication method that works best for you and that you find most effective. It is very important for writing to be done well and in a way that those involved can understand. These communities use written discourse that enable members to keep in touch with each other, carry on discussions, explore controversies and advance their aims; genres are their vehicles for communication (Johns 503). Social workers are constantly writing initial notes about patients and progress notes. These notes are always being referred back to by other members of the team to gather information of the patients and assessing their goals. In a nursing home setting Social Workers have developed their own language and incorporated lingo that helps them communicate with each other. They refrain from referring to patients as just that, patients, but rather as residents. This is done to help the community stay away from becoming an institution rather than their home. When writing notes about the residents, rather than starting with their name they describe their physical appearance first; e.g. white, male, 5. 6 followed by their name. Social Workers are also required to read information written by nurses and doctors who are also in charge of constantly gathering information about the patients. Writing properly is also very important to minimize conflicts amongst the community. It is very easy to misinterpret information that is written. It can also show another sense of your level of authority which can come across negatively. Before entering this discourse community we must be aware that our reading and writing habits will play a very important role in the field of our choice and will require that we adopt these new conventions immediately.

Barajas 4 Swales tells us in one of his six characteristics of what a discourse community includes; A threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise. In order to become an insider of the Social Work Discourse Community, it is a requirement to complete at least a Bachelors Degree but preferably a Masters Degree in Social Work. In addition to the required education, it would be very helpful to collaborate with members of this discourse community by volunteering my time at locations that fit my interest. Being that reading and writing play a very important part in this field, it would be very wise to take extra courses in writing and in developing my communication skills. Although, I do believe it to be true that you are never entirely ready to become a part of a group that has specific goals and communication methods until you are a part of it and with time can develop those skills that are required to become successful at it. Another great teacher for the future is life. Life experiences will be one of the most effective lessons that will help you adapt to a new discourse community. A life experience that I feel will impact my professional life is working at a retirement community for the past 9 years- it has not only taught me to be patient but also to deal with people of different backgrounds. Ive been exposed to speaking to large groups of people, leading group discussions and socializing with well-educated people. I think becoming a member of this discourse community will impact my life in a way that will encourage me to expand intellectually. This discourse community calls for people who are well prepared and are willing to help others. Knowledge in the field will not only allow me to help others but myself as well. As we continue to develop our skills in whatever discourse community we look forward to in the future, we should remind ourselves that change will be inevitable. Based on the field of your choice, the needs will change and will require you to adapt to them to make you a

Barajas 5 successful professional and help you thrive to the best of your ability. It is important to continue to educate ourselves for any future discourse communities that we might fall into. Without realizing it, the future can potentially push you in a different direction that you might have never even considered.

Barajas 6 Works Cited Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Setting. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 471-473. Print. Wardle, Elizabeth. Identity, Authority, and learning to write in New Workplaces. Writing about writing; a college reader (2011): 521. Print. Kelkelyan, Kohar. Personal Interview. 13 Feb. 2014 Samuelson, Silvia. Personal Interview. 17 Feb. 2014 Johns, Ann M. Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity. Text, Role, and Context: Developing Academic Literacies. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge UP, 1997, 503. Print.