What is discourse? This is the first question the students of W350 Sustainable Public Discourse, were asked to think about on the first day of class. As the question was asked the room became silent as we all pondered this seeminly simple term. It turned out not to be so simple however. I find myslef, still today wondering, what is discourse?
Through class discussions and various readings we have been given examples of different types of discourse with many different aims and goals. These genre samples have proven the term "discourse" to be anything by simple. It is a term which holds a slightly different meaning for each person. For some it may be argumentation while for others it may be propaganda. These definitions have both proven to be true throughout the semester.
It is very interesting the many forms that discourse can take, as well as, the many things that it can mean. After reading from authors like Selzer, Killingsworth, Kinneavy, and many others, we have learned what it is to create persuasive and informative discourse for an audience, but it seems nearly impossible to place a solid definition to the word. This makes me realize that discourse, like the informational world in which it is utilized, is an ever changing thing which is shaped and molded to fit where it is needed. There is not concrete answer for what discourse is, because it is not a concrete thing.
I'm wondering if discourse is less a word to be defined and more a category of communication, or an act - something that we do.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I got out of Joe Harris' book and presentation was that written works are alive and always in conversation with other works - and perhaps this is what discourse is. I think that, after this semester, I might define discourse as the active conversation between written works, media, or speech.