Blog #6: Discourse Communities

               

 Out with the Old Identity

And in with the New

                I have talked a lot on this blog about my own identity, about my discourse, about mushfaking in order to be welcomed into new discourses, etc. Now I would like to discuss a new discourse topic: Discourse communities.

                A discourse community is defined as a group of people belonging to the same discourse that have goals or purposes, and use communication to achieve these goals. SDSU professor of linguistics and rhetoric and writing studies Ann Johns, discusses in her article, “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity” that the term discourse communities adds more emphasis to “texts and language, the genres and lexis that enable members throughout the world to maintain their goals, regulate their membership, and communicate efficiently with one another” (Johns, 500).

Essentially discourse communities are a community of people who share common goals and beliefs, but also reach those goals or express those beliefs in a variety of ways. An example of a discourse community would be a music community. Everyone in this discourse would be music lovers, however, each individual could have a different taste in music, varying among country, hip-hop, jazz, rock, and other genres.

An individual could be a part of many different discourse communities throughout their life, becoming more involved in specific communities while becoming less involved, or showing less interest, in other communities. All individuals have personal biases and interests in the limitless supply of discourse communities available to them. It is these biases and levels of interest that shape one’s identity, unique solely to oneself that no one else can perfectly imitate. This identity should not be confused with an individual’s discourse, which James Paul Gee defines as “an identity kit that comes with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize.”

I myself am already part of lots of different discourse communities. Just to name a couple, I belong to an exercise and fitness discourse community at my local 24 hour fitness gym, where I workout all the time with regular gymgoers and workers, and even discuss with each other the different exercise programs we practice, as well as milestones we’re accomplishing. Over the Internet I am a part of the Anime discourse community, where we discuss many of our favorite series, share fanart and cosplay, as well as plan events for the annual Anime Expo in LA.

Becoming a member of a discourse community can also impact your sense of self. Ann Johns mentions that for certain discourse communities, there is a cost to become affiliated with one. A prime example are academic discourse communities. Johns states that “to succeed in school, [you] may have to make considerable sacrifices. To become active academic participants [you] must make major trade-offs that: can create personal and social distance between [you] and [your] families and communities.”

The cost of affiliation to a discourse community can sometimes be money, but more often than not, the cost is your time. Becoming more involved in one discourse community means becoming less involved in others. This also means losing your original identity, your sense of self, and assuming a new one. Your ratios of involvement in all your discourse communities fluctuate each time a new community is added to the mix, creating a whole new identity.

Ever since I reattended school full-time, I had to lose a few aspects of my current self in order to work to assume my future identity as a computer scientist. Remember those discourse communities I am a part of? Well I’ve had to cut my involvement time at the gym as well as time to watch Anime in order to pay for the time needed to affiliate myself with my studies at school. I’ve lost a part of my original self to work on my future self.

Although I will miss the amount of involvement I had in my current discourse communities, I am looking forward to my involvement in my future career, my future discourse community! I can’t wait to see what new identity I shall become!

Blog #5: My First Job: A Struggle and a Lesson

An Educational Rant

This post is going to be a little bit of a rant, so please bear with me. I had just finished reading Tony Mirabelli’s work Learning to Serve: The Language and Literacy of Food Service Workers and his discussion on both the treatment of waiters and waitresses by customers and their techniques to handle customers reminded me of my first job as a storefront associate at a bakery.

                Although I had community service experience serving homemade cookies and brownies to customers back in high school, there was still so much of a difference between that and my bakery job. I needed to learn about a plethora of different bread, cake, and drinks on our menu. What they looked like. How they’re prepared. What allergens were in them. How much they cost. I needed to be prepared at any time to answer any questions a customer may have had about a particular menu item. It felt like I was taking another class with all the studying. It was grueling, but somewhat fun at the same time.

But onto a more challenging level of education, I had to learn how to communicate effectively to handle customer needs, and to cooperate with my coworkers. There are many times when I had customers demanding certain drinks, but desired special preparations not normally included on our menu, like ordering a smoothie, but adding espresso shots into it as well as brown sugar instead of regular sugar, etc. There are also times when a customer asks for a flavor of bread but gives a vague description of what they’re looking for taste-wise. Getting customers to both understand and accept the limits to what the store can provide for their “appetite” was the most difficult part of the job. Like Mirabelli mentioned, I had to learn how to read the “private appetites” (Mirabelli) of a customer, but also communicate in a way that is both negotiable to their desires, yet still profitable for the business.

The skill I learned in order to negotiate with customers was using words and mannerisms in order to "control both power and authority in a conversation" (Mirabelli). Eloquent language and an enthusiastic attitude is key here. If a customer were to have doubts on a particular menu item, I would sell it by using a colorful vocabulary to describe it beautifully, smiling excitedly while discussing it to raise its appeal until I finally win the customer over and complete the purchase. Although the customer holds absolute power and authority over the employee to what they shall order, I feel accomplished when I can win them over to what I decide their purchase shall be.

To cooperate effectively with my coworkers and maintain a discourse with them, I had to learn to read their emotions. While working through a long rush of customers, stress levels are high among all areas of the store. During these times, I pay close attention to how my coworkers are handling everything. How’s their work pace? Tone of voice? Are they making weird gestures? Are they sweating profusely? If something feels off with them, they don’t even need to ask. I step in to assist them in their work. Sometimes I suggest to the manager if I can switch workstations with them, so they can take a break and handle something easier for a while. There are also times that I am the one in this position, and my coworkers back me up instead. It is necessary for coworkers to have a natural feel for teamwork and reading others’ emotions. Each day is a battle, and we must all work together if we want to survive.

There are a few stereotypes associated with servers at a restaurant. The definition of stereotyping means to hold a general or fixed belief or notion about others without proof or validity. Servers are stereotypically thought of as lowly workers who have failed to get a degree of higher education. They are also sometimes seen as very whiny in the work they must perform. In Mirabelli’s article, he discussed a rant left on the Bitterwaitress.com website by a customer, which mentioned that server work is not “a REAL job,” does not “make a real contribution to society,” and does not require “any marketable skills or useful knowledge.” (Mirabelli) This is me ranting, but as a fellow food service worker, this comment angered me deeply. It is easy for customers like this commenter to talk high and mighty without ever working in this position to begin with, ignorant of the circumstances we face.

These stereotypes, however, were quickly debunked with this article as proof. Not only were some degree earners on the website discovered to be servers, but also Tony Mirabelli himself, an English major, had experience as one, and fully analyzed the languages and literacies of server work while doing so.

Servers however are not the only ones who are troubled with stereotypes. All workers, from janitors to doctors, face stereotypes both good or bad, in the jobs that they do. When I graduate from school as Computer Science major, I will face my share of stereotypes as well. Computer scientists are stereotyped as geeky, introverted, night owls. While the major is looked upon with respect, it is also overestimated. People stereotype CS majors as math geniuses, who can solve any tech problem thrown at them like they are walking computer manuals. Any technology bug like a broken TV or a glitchy phone can be fixed by a computer scientist. As a future computer scientist, I can already tell you the answer about why we know so much: Google!

Most people, myself included, cannot help stereotyping different kinds of jobs at least once without experiencing these jobs ourselves. However, researchers are able to avoid stereotyping or at least getting used to not stereotyping by practicing what Tony Mirabelli did himself: research. By becoming more educated about a topic, a job, or even a person, you can prevent yourself from making any ignorant insults or praises. Sometimes I wish my rude customers could take a step in my own shoes for a day, then just maybe, they would be easier with me. Rant over.

Blog #4 Objectivity, Subjectivity, Rhetorical Situations, and Op/Eds

Your Opinion Matters Too!

For this blog, I want to offer a brief (lol) crash course on what is Objectivity, Subjectivity, Rhetorical Situations, and Op/Eds!

Objectivity and Subjectivity. These are two ways to approach an argument, and both have their uses. Objective writing is primarily fact-based writing, free of any personal feelings or biases. It takes both observable and measurable facts into account when basing an argument or reporting a theory.  It would be commonplace to find objectivity in genres like in a textbook or during a news report. Subjective writing is based on personal opinions, interpretations, and judgments, putting the author’s emotions into words. The word “I” is a key descriptor of subjectivity. You can find subjectivity most notably in biographies, the comments section of a website, and yes, even blogs.

As a writer who has always been required to stay objective when working on research papers and persuasive essays in high school and my early college years, transitioning from objectivity to subjectivity is going to feel truly liberating. Along with providing a wealth of knowledge to support my arguments, being free to also voice my own opinions in the discussion feels like I’m involved, and not just a robot reporting data. It’s a great opportunity to break from that old mold of writing.

Blogs are a great way of responding to rhetorical situations. According to professor Richard Nordquist, "a rhetorical situation is the context of a rhetorical act, made up of a rhetor, an issue, a medium, and an audience." Depending on the genre of blog – a company blog, a technical blog, a news blog, a personal blog – a writer can choose to implement objectivity, subjectivity, or a mix of both. What matters is how a blogger would like to share the information they post to the type of audience viewing their particular blog. Do you want your viewers to rely on your blog as a source of knowledge? Do you want them to sympathize or feel inspired? You decide.

Recently I’ve been reading a few of the rhetorical situations discussed in the op/eds of the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the LA Times. One that drew my interest in particular was the discussion of smartphones, videogames, and computers being responsible for teenage anxiety, but was soon deemed a myth. The reason it caught my eye first glance was that it was relatable to me. As a teenager and even today, computers are my life. It is my source of information and entertainment. Upon hearing it may have been the cause for my introverted adolescence, I was already listing ideas in my head to defend the technology I hold dear. Glad it was debunked. And then it had me thinking. If I were to become involved in op/eds, these are the rhetorical situations I can respond to and discuss. They are what I’m passionate about.

Op/Eds are opinion pieces that discuss current rhetorical situations of today. If you see a major event or controversy discussed on the news last night, you can be sure there are already op/eds being written about them today. The authors of these op/eds write these columns with an purpose, not simply to rant. They voice their opinions strongly and provide a wealth of research and knowledge to propose to their audience a call to action; to see things from a different perspective.

            Op/Eds shouldn't have to feel solely like a intellectual paper that only experts of your field can understand through the technical jargon you use or high-level vocabulary. The column should feel like a conversation with a like-minded audience, who share similar values to the author and can relate to the opinions they subjectively express. Authors offer a piece of their mind while also sharing a bit of newfound knowledge to the audience. But if the audience happens to be a group of highly intellectual experts in your field who would enjoy a sophisticated conversation then by all means go the first route.

Op/Eds are different than news reports and textbooks that merely inform the reader in a solely objective fashion. Each one is unique because of the subjective language evoked from the author. This subjective language is what captures a specific audience’s attention. The author takes a side from the get-go to a rhetorical situation and defends that side with enthusiasm, winning over an audience with similar viewpoints, and making enemies with others who think differently.

Blog #3: Where I'm From

Where am I from, you ask?

I’m from San Diego,

from white, warm beaches and clear blue skies,

to the rare sight of rain that blocks the sun from my eyes.

Me and my sister on the left image. 

My sis, mom, and grandma on the right image

I’m from a family,

with a sister plus a mother plus a grandma, we make four,

all full of love and affection, I couldn’t ask for anymore.

I’m from the weekends,

from a moment’s rest with Saturday cartoons and junk food

with Sunday mass, but also last week’s homework to bring down my mood.

I’m from the gym,

With my coaches and drill instructors wearing me out

I’m saved by Fort Minor and Goku’s inspiring shouts.

High School Air Force JROTC Armed Fancy Drill Team 09-10

I'm sixth from the left.

I’m from school,

With the SATs, the AP tests, and make or break Finals,

But my Armed Drill team buds and track friends made it all worthwhile.

I’m from Louisiana and the Philippines,

Cajun fried chicken and crawfish fills my soul

And lumpia and pancit can really fill a hole (my stomach).

I’m from pennies and one-dollar bills,

Bought clothes at thrift shops, didn’t care they were outmoded

Recycled cans and water bottles just to keep my wallet loaded.

I’m from a fantasy,

DC and Marvel comics, cartoons, films, I’ve seen them all

Japanese Anime I binge each day, as addicting as alcohol.

I’m from all these moments,

from a younger self, a naïve, an immature, and ungraceful past,

full of lessons, full of memories, a history I’ll forever hold steadfast.

Blog #2: Mushfaking

 Fake it Till you Make It!

I want to share with everyone about my freshmen year in college. After I graduated high school, I moved out of my house and attended UC Irvine for a while. For those who don’t know, in the past, I wasn’t always the confident guy I am today. I was an introverted and lazy kid who didn’t know anything of the world outside San Diego. And now I’m supposed to live out by myself in a new city!?

In order to live on my own and live out a fun and exciting college life, I had to adopt some new Discourses to get by. In his work, Literacy,Discourse, and Linguistics, James Paul Gee defines Discourse with a capital “D” as “a sort of ‘identity kit’ which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize” (Gee, 7). If I wanted the people I meet in this new school to accept me, I was going to have to quickly adapt and assimilate into their culture.

First, let’s talk about my home situation during college. I lived in a single room apartment a few miles away from campus. Not wanting to worry my family, I had to make them believe that I was responsible and independent on my own. When in actuality, I wasn’t. My place was always messy. Clothes on the floor, crumbs everywhere, and dirty dishes at my bedside. I didn’t know how to cook. My diet consisted of cereal, peanut butter sandwiches, top ramen, and Jack In The Box burgers. I managed to convince my folks about how I grocery shopped at the local Albertsons and got enough of the basic food groups: vegetables (lettuce), fruits (tomatoes), dairy(cheese), meat (patty) and grains (buns). It was on days that they visited that I had to tidy up the night before to welcome them to an always safe and clean environment, fit for a bright, young, healthy, responsible and independent, student. I thought that they wouldn’t buy it, but as I talked to them mentioning buzzwords like “separating the darks, colors, and whites” or “I eat three servings of dairy and five servingsof vegetables in my diet…” I managed to mushfake this Discourse of a responsible and independent individual.

Mushfake is a term James Paul Gee uses involving Discourses which means to “make do with something less when the real thing is not available.” In other words, flaunt small instances of knowledge, sayings, and behaviors belonging to a particular Discourse to convince others that you’ve adopted that Discourse. Fake it till you make it!  

Next, let’s talk about my social life in college. Disgusted of my introverted nature, I began to adopt a Discourse of a fun and outgoing individual to make friends and gain the acceptance of many clubs. The new school year meant the beginning of club activities. A friend I made in class invited me over to an engineering club (at the time I was an engineering major). I maintained my free-spirited persona throughout the club meeting and there an after event that followed. However, the event involved drinking at a senior member’s house and I am a straightedge nondrinker. I didn’t want to kill the happy vibe I had with my friend or the other members, nor did I want to be thrown out the “gates” of this new Discourse of mine. Instead of politely declining the event, I mushfaked the Discourse of an avid drinker and joined in (I was an idiot and immature back then, bear with me). I always kept my cup filled with either water or soda and laughed or jeered on cue with everyone else, all while wearing a dumb and goofy expression on my face that I practiced beforehand. I was able to get through the night completely sober, successfully convincing the rest of the club. As the school year had gone by, I would realize that drinking events for clubs and hangouts were quite commonplace. Fed up with it, I eventually ended my mushfaking, realizing I shouldn’t need it.

Its tiring to pretend to be someone you’re not. Being free is so much easier. There are times in life when mushfaking is necessary, like during a job interview or during a speech. My mushfaking was not one of those times however! But hey, you live and you learn!

BLOG #1: Six-Word Memoir

You are your own worst critic.

The image above (this isn’t me by the way) is a representation of my high school years. Insecure, awkward, and stressed out of my mind. On the walks to my next class, I had the idea that the other students I passed by were all staring at me. Judging my faded old clothes, my afro hairstyle, and the anxious look on my face. My adolescence was spent worrying about what others thought about me. I constantly pestered my friends for reassurance about trivial matters like: whether my pose I stood in place felt too stiff; about whether my laugh sounded too maniacal or at times too girly; about whether my body looked too thin and frail; and about whether the clothes I had my eye on buying were cool or not. The anxiety of my appearance to society remained a part of me throughout my teenage years.

Fast forward to today and my morale has taken a 180. Just like the man in the image above (this isn’t me by the way), I am brimming with much more confidence than ever. Instead of pondering the opinions of hundreds of people, it is much easier to consider the opinion of one: myself. Over time I grew tired of questioning what others thought about me and simply asked myself: “Do I like myself? Is there anything I don’t like about myself?” The strangers around me are too busy focusing on themselves to worry about focusing on me. Realizing this I have decided to work on myself. If I was unsatisfied with my body, I exercised. If I disliked a mainstream song, I listened to something else. If someone commented negatively on my favorite shirt, I continued to wear it. At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is my own.