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Doe 9

The Expression of Art: An Ethnographic Study

of “312B” within the Artstreet Community

Introduction

Expressing art can vary in so many ways. Whether it is an instrument playing, a voice singing, a picture being comprehended, or a sculpture that represents a deeper meaning, art connects the inner feelings of humans to another reality. It brings humans to a reality that is sometimes sad, happy, or anywhere in between. But usually the art is meaningful to the author. The author wants the world to experience whatever he or she is experiencing. The way it is depicted depends on the audience. Artstreet is a discourse community of diverse people promoting creativity throughout the University of Dayton. Within the entire Artstreet community are smaller individual communities. The actual residents that live in Artstreet are juniors and seniors attending the University of Dayton. They have come from many different places all sharing the love of art. Their love of many types of art generates a positive attitude. This attitude spreads to anyone who wants to listen and learn about this intriguing discourse community.

Definition of Discourse Community

A discourse community can be defined in slightly different terms. Specifically, John Swales states that a discourse community is group of people who communicate in a certain language and the use of this language is a form of social behavior (132). They communicate in a manner where usually the members are the only ones who understand the language. A discourse community invites new members into the group all of the time. It is the responsibility for the new members to learn all of the linguistics of the group – the way they speak to each other and the overall knowledge of the group. “The six defining characteristics that identify a group of individuals as a discourse community include: common goals, participatory mechanisms, information exchange, community specific genres, a highly specialized terminology, and a high general level of expertise” (Swales 136). These six characteristics are different from group to group. And these characteristics develop over a period of time. The members that have been part of the group the longest will have more expertise in each area and then can introduce the specific concepts to new members. “In simpler terms, a ‘discourse community’ is a group of people who share certain language-using practices. These practices regulate social interactions and the world-views of group members or how they interpret experience” (Swales 136). Discourse communities can range from any age, race, and gender.

Discourse Community Under Analysis

A group of four juniors from apartment 312B that live in Artstreet are also part of a smaller discourse community. This discourse community first met when they were freshman in college. They continued to get to know each other as the years went by and finally decided to apply to live in Artstreet. They all share the love of art – ranging from singing, playing a variety of instruments, writing poetry, and much more (Miller). These juniors express art in the simplest ways, whether it is through their everyday actions or through a project where the entire community can be involved. This project is titled “open chalkboard gallery” (Miller).

Methods

As I sat in on a meeting, I experienced what it would be like to be part of their discourse community. These juniors were extremely inviting and energetic when I first walked through the door. The overall vibe was positive and intrigued my mind right off the bat. I also had an interview with an individual member of this discourse community. We discussed the project they had in mind and how they would exert it. I asked questions about how one is allowed to live in Artstreet and the process that must be taken into consideration beforehand. I also asked the members why they wanted to live in Artstreet in the first place. These methods allowed me to connect with the members of the discourse community on a personal level, but also from an outside point of view since I am not actually a member of the discourse community. I analyzed the data collected by applying Swales’ six defining characteristics of a discourse community.

Results

Goals

As mentioned earlier, the juniors from apartment 312B have a common goal in mind: to spread the Artstreet community to all students by having an “open chalkboard gallery” (Miller). They want others to experience the great atmosphere that is offered by the Artstreet community. There is a chalkboard wall in every Artstreet house, thus making it the perfect project to have full participation throughout the Artstreet community. “This open chalkboard gallery is a reason for other students to see all of the apartments and houses that are in Artstreet” (Miller). The apartments and houses in Artstreet are not always the most known among the underclassmen attending the University of Dayton. A solution to this problem is to have students walk through the different apartments and houses while viewing each house’s individual expression of art on a chalkboard. There was different themes discussed at the meeting ranging from “through the decades,” “musical genre,” and “movie theme” (Miller). The tentative date for the gallery to be viewed is the night of November 15, 2012. The evening time is the most convenient because then classes would not interfere with whether students can attend or not. The discourse community was still discussing whether the “open chalkboard gallery” should be just a pop-in type of event or more organized with a tour (Miller). Ideas kept generating throughout the meeting leaving the overall project to an exceptional start.

Lexis

Lexis are a set of terms used within the discourse community. They usually are unique, which the members would only know the true meanings of the specific words or phrases used. The juniors from apartment 312B always refer to themselves as “312B” when talking to the Artstreet community. This is so they do not have to list all of their names, and instead they just say “312B” (Miller). “312B” makes sounds, for example ‘meh,’ but by the sound the particular individual makes it can mean different emotions. “This discourse community also meows at each other to acknowledge one another or convey an emotion” (Miller). “Sometimes, ‘312B’ takes words and apply them to things they would not normally apply to, for example ‘glitter’ meaning awesome” (Miller). The communication between the members in this discourse community has developed over the years. New lexis are introduced to the community every day. Lexis help the members communicate on a different level where the meanings are only known by those who are in the discourse community.

Genres

There are certain genres that help apartment 312B communicate efficiently. Lexis are also used within genres. Genres are actual written texts that contribute to the communication between people. The certain genres that help apartment 312B communicate well include: email, text messages, and written notes within a notebook. The Artstreet community communicates through Facebook, emails, and flyers that are distributed throughout the community. Within there “open chalkboard gallery,” apartment 312B discussed about putting together flyers that would represent invitations to the actual gallery (Miller). Anyone is welcome to view the gallery, but the flyers would contribute to the word getting around campus.

Literacies

Literacy can be defined as knowing how to read and write. But it also can mean knowing how to read someone. A person can convey many different emotions, and we may never know it because they are keeping it all bottled up. Once the person has spoken a few words, we can get an idea of what they are feeling.

Multiple Literacies

As I observed their meeting, apartment 312B communicated well between each other. They all had their full attention toward whoever was speaking and conveyed positive attitudes. They fed off one another’s ideas that formulated into a bigger and better idea. Sometimes they did have different opinions, but they continued to acknowledge the different ideas.

Interpersonal Literacies

Knowing one another and how that certain person acts contributes to the way a member connects with another on a personal level. The members of apartment 312B convey different emotions throughout the day. They communicate through the certain lexis that they use. The way a person conveys a sound sometimes means their happy or sometimes means there upset or angry.

Situational Literacies

Depending on the situation that arises, the members act accordingly. They prepare ahead of time, so they can fully perform to their best abilities. The members of apartment 312B discuss their ideas within the small group, but they also communicate with director of the Artstreet community. This is so no one is caught by surprise or off guard (Miller).

Relationships between Textual, Situational, and Interpersonal Literacies

Lexis and genres are both used equally amongst the members of apartment 312B. They convey certain emotions that call for interpersonal literacies. The connection between each member and how they act depending on the situation all contribute to the overall readability of a person. All of the literacies are used to communicate with each other according to the definition of discourse community (Swales 136).

Conclusion

The Artstreet community strives to reach out to the entire University of Dayton student body. They want everyone to experience what it is like to be part of a community that accepts people as who they are. “312B” is planning on doing an “open chalkboard gallery.” The “open chalkboard gallery” is where the residents living in Artstreet can express their artistic ability on a chalkboard in their houses while students walk through and see the houses with their own eyes (Miller). The members of apartment 312B communicate with each other in many different ways that contribute to ideas. These formulated ideas are then presented to a larger community: Artstreet. Communication within a discourse community is significantly importat, and it must be mastered in order to be a member. But sometimes the greatest form of communication between one another is simply the expression of art.

Works Cited

Miller, Jill. Discussions on Open Chalkboard Gallery. Personal Interview. 12 October 2012, 21 October 2012.

Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.” Readings for English 100: Writing Seminar 1. Van-Grinner: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2013. 132-137.