The Importance Of A Discourse Community

According to Porter, “A ‘discourse community’ is a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated. A discourse community shares assumptions about what objects are appropriate for examination and discussion, what constitutes ‘evidence’ and ‘validity’ and what formal conventions are followed (38-39).” These five texts collectively constitute a community of discourse through their application of common language norms, characteristics, patterns and rhetorical strategies. All of the authors are writing about corresponding ideas and discussing their identical goals; the prevalence of gender inequality in the legal profession and the unjust consequences derived from it. Similarly,

“The Discourse itself defines what counts as acceptable criticism” (Gee 162). All of the articles use similar rhetorical strategies by describing a problem in shared thinking; the common conception that the women’s equality dilemma has been resolved since formal regulations were instituted and women’s number have increased in the profession. Within both Brenner and Rhodes articles, both writers use a common language norm by referring to this conception as the ‘no problem’ problem. Furthermore, both authors push against this conventional way of thinking and claim this ‘no problem’ problem is oppositely one of the predominant factors leading to gender inequality in the legal profession and demand it not be overlooked within today’s society. In Brenner’s article, she asserts an alternate way of approaching content by disputing the topic of legal ethics. She complicates the whole concept of legal ethics by posing the question, “ What message does it send if the profession responsible for

Rather they are the ways of recognizing and getting recognized as certain sorts of whos doing certain sorts of whats” (156). This discourse consists of authors (whos) writing about their opinions, ideas, beliefs and revisions to the issue of gender inequality (whats). The borders are not necessarily defined nor fluid, instead they are somewhat steady in the middle; there is a range for authors to have similar or competing concepts centered on the issue. The community is bound by the concept that gender inequality is a prominent issue within the legal profession and is the cause for many obstacles directed towards women in the profession, all the articles mainly focus on this topic and rarely stray except to acknowledge the views of