Project Know as a Discourse Community

Project Know as Discourse Community

Andrews Segura Correa

University of Texas at El Paso

Project Know as a Discourse Community

Introduction

The enormity of social problems calls for the organization of discussion, catered and focused on

specific issues. A group of people who choose to discuss or address one particular issue can be

roughly defined as a discourse community. The semester topic which the discourse community

pertains to is related to sexual behavioral addictions and their effect on relationships. Project

Know has an entire branch of their rehabilitation services dedicated to behavioral addictions and

they provide resources and information in regards to seeking treatment. Project Know fits the

definition of a discourse community as defined by John Swales due to a variety of characteristics

including having its own lexis, having an accessible medium which members can use to

communicate to each other as well as others, and more. A brief phone interview with a counselor

at Project Know provided insight in to the process of joining or seeking help from those in the

discourse community itself and the implications that come with being involved with Project

Know.

Literature Review

Two academic papers were analyzed to gain insight in to the proper definition of a

discourse community. The first of these papers is Intertextuality and Discourse Community by

James Porter. The second paper is titled The Concept of Discourse Community and it is

written by John Swales. These two authors approach the definition of a discourse community

quite differently with Porter being more academic and rigorous in his definition than Swales

more general approach. Porter introduces his concept of a discourse community with a

deceptively superficial definition stating that a discourse community is a group of individuals

bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse

is regulated. However, Porter expands the upon the definition, making approved channels to
Project Know as a Discourse Community

mean very formal styles of communication, requiring members of the discourse community to

have a formal level of expertise, and he requires that the goals and objectives of the discourse

community be very clearly defined and actively sought. Swales on the other hand allows for a

more informal discourse community that can loosely adhere to his six defining characteristics

listed. This more general definition of a discourse community is both concise and flexible so that

an individual can belong to a variety of discourse communities and interact with them on a daily

basis. Project Know, the discourse community chosen for the semester topic, can be properly

defined as a discourse community using both the definitions of James Porter and John Swales.

Methods

One of the challenges faced while trying to gain insight into behavioral addictions related

to pornography is the fact that compulsive pornography consumption is not classified as a

disease or disorder in the DSM-5. Behavioral addiction is a relatively new field of study and

additional research is being done. Despite this, there are still counselors and therapists who have

experience dealing with a variety of behavioral disorders including addiction. These people are

often employed by rehabilitation services such as Project Know in order that they may be

available to provide assistance in the event an individual seeking their services reaches out to

Project Know. A short interview was conducted over the phone with a rehabilitation counselor as

Project Know is a national organization with no official branch in El Paso, Texas so that an in-

person interview could be done. The counselor went by the name Katy. Katy provided insight

in to some of the inner workings of Project Know. The organizations structure essentially

consists of a network of clinics and rehabilitation centers with Project Know acting both as a

source of information and a hub for potential patients. When an individual calls Project Knows

primary phone number, one is connected to a representative who can connect the individual to a
Project Know as a Discourse Community

counselor who will then advise the individual according to their need. If the individual is in a

situation where they are at risk of relapsing on their addiction, Project Know provides a help line

to assure continued sobriety or abstinence. The organization members who work on the crisis

hotline are very busy with at-risk patients and for that reason were not contacted. Katy however

was able to provide information on the hotlines function stating that the typical session with an

at-risk patient includes ensuring that the individual is safe in the sense that they are not having

suicidal thoughts or are endangering others. After this is established, the counselor will try and

have the patient contact a family member or friend who can ensure that they are safe and

encourage this family member or friend to assist the patient in getting access to a local clinic. If

this is not possible, in some instances Project Know can contact the local clinic or even law

enforcement and they may be able to send someone to the patient themselves. If the patient is not

at risk and simply wants more information, Project Know provides them with additional phone

numbers, email contacts, and addresses of clinics and rehabilitation centers that they can contact

in their time of need.

Discussion

Several scholars have sought to define a discourse community. In this paper, the

definition which will set the standard will be that provided by John Swales. He defines a

discourse community using six defining characteristics in The Concept of Discourse

Community:

1. A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals

2. A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members

Project Know as a Discourse Community

3. A discourse community uses its participatory mechanism primarily to provide

information and feedback

4. A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the

communicative furtherance of its aims

5. In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific

lexis

6.A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of

relevant content and discoursal expertise

The discourse community chosen for this project is Project Know. Project Know is an

organization dedicated to making people aware of the fact that addiction is a disease rather than a

choice. They reach out and communicate with the public and each other through various

mediums including, but not limited to, internet and TV advertisements. Project Know primarily

provides information and resources for both behavioral and substance addictions. It provides

contact and enrollment information for a variety of treatment options including traditional 12-

Step programs and a few programs with more holistic approaches.

Conclusion

The information gained from Project Know as a discourse community will prove valuable

to future research on the semester topic chosen. Katy, the counselor at Project Know interviewed

provided a glimpse in to the world of behavioral addiction treatment. One of the things which

she was particularly passionate about was that people often stigmatize rehab patients. She

emphasized that people who go to rehab are not a monolith and are incredibly brave. The

overwhelming majority of rehabilitation programs are voluntary, meaning that the patient can
Project Know as a Discourse Community

check out at any time. The fact that they seek out help and stay to complete the programs is a

sign of not only the bravery of the individual but the severity of many behavioral addictions. The

importance of a discourse community for social issues can be summarized by one of Katys

statements:

People are usually very open to the testimonies of substance-dependent individuals but

are not so open to the testimonies of behavior-compulsive individualsI think this is

because the physical toll of substance abuse is apparent and more scary while the mental

toll of compulsive behavior, while equally (and sometimes more) frightening, is not

easily seen as easily [sic].

The level of sensitivity when dealing with issues such as addiction and behavior disorders

necessitates a level of understanding which can be found in a discourse community. Hence, the

importance of proper discourse communities for various societal issues can be appreciated.
Project Know as a Discourse Community

References

Porter, J. (1986). Intertextuality and the Discourse Community. Rhetoric Review, 5(1), 34-47.

Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/466015

Swales, J. (1990) ''The Concept of Discourse Community." Genre Analysis: English in

Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 21-32. Print.