Michael Mans

Rebecca Agosta
UWRT 1101-005
15 March 2017

Swales Reading Log

From what I have read on page 269 Swales wants us to understand the importance of

reciprocity, which is the practice of exchanging things with another individual or group for

benefits on both sides, kind of like a compromise but both sides get exactly what they want. This

is so important in Swales eyes because it allows to move forward and make progress. As a quote,

directly from Swales, suffer the uncomfortable fate of ending up circular (469). When going in

a circle no progress can be made, Discourse communities are built by not being in a circle.

Swales main goal is to argue the importance of a discourse community, which is a group of

individuals that share a set of discourses. Discourse is written or spoken communication or

debate. Discourse community is so important to Swales because it is what allows opinions to be

shared. This reading reminds of the reading where we discussed literacy as power. Being able to

debate through literacy is very powerful and I used this to connect the two reading. Swales

thoughts are different from Herzbergs concerns because he seems to actually care about

discourse community considering every other word he says it.

 Swales My Explanation Example from our Questions
Characteristics Class
Public Goals From my Our discussion in What do public goals
understanding, Public class on civic have to do with
Goals are goals that literacies Discourse community
are debated upon that when they are
are needed. debating among
themselves on their
own issues.
Mechanisms of The way member of a My peers and I in Why does
Intercommunication discourse community class use intercommunication
communicates with intercommunication become more
each other. to talk to each other effective then
and discuss our goals. debating.

Participatory The way members in Another example

Mechanisms a discourse from class would be
community the way all the
participate. students at least try to
participate.

Genres Genres provide WE have discussed

structure for the many genres in class.
discourse community

Specific Lexis If I could best guess We have many Why is the stockpile
what he meant by this definitions that are of word important
is that there are many very important in
words that are used. class.

Threshold Level Each member of a In class our teacher is

discourse community the highest ranking
would hold a and she spreads her
different power level knowledge to us and
or ranking and input. we spread the
knowledge to each
other through debate.