American Red Cross Discourse Community

Paul Ryan once said, “Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.” We do not often realize how important it is for everybody to work together to achieve a goal. A community is a group of individual people gathered together to form a whole, like a school, local church, government entity, non-profit organization, sport team, etc. This whole can make reference to a discourse community.

Prior to entering this English class, I never knew there was a such thing as a discourse community. Reading assigned articles and doing research of my own, I discovered that I too was a part of many discourse communities. While in high school, I was a part of many student and national organizations, as well as schoolwide clubs, and teams. Although they had different purposes, the organizations, clubs, and teams that I was a part of had the same type of layout. They all had a common goal, participatory mechanisms, information exchange, specific genres of the community, specialized terminology, and levels of expertise. There is in one in particular that I have been involved in for most of my life, the dance community, that has not been recognized for its worth.

Joining a discourse community is something we have all experienced, whether we realized it or not. To earn a position in a discourse community we have to possess accurate knowledge and be relatable to the members to be accepted. I used to have a position in part of a discourse community on my high school key club. There I learned to be a leader and was able to establish a reliability to my peers and the people in the other organizations we have helped. Even though I had done some community service in previous years on my own. This was completely different, in this community not only did I learn to work with others to help the community but also how use ethos, pathos and logos to persuade my peer to help some of the charities that I thought

Undoubtedly, the American Red Cross has done many wonders over the course of its existence. Whether it is providing relief from disasters, aiding the less fortunate nationally and internationally or saving lives with their blood program, the Red Cross has always been there to help the world become a safer place to live in. Most recently, this organization has had a strong impact in the recovery of “Superstorm” Sandy and Hurricane Isaac, providing food and water, multiple shelters for people that have lost their homes and even counseling during such a devastating time (“Top 20 Accomplishments”).

The Red Cross, founded in 1896 is one of the most well known humanitarian organizations in the world. The Canadian Red Cross hopes to improve the lives of people by provoking the power of humanity not only in Canada, but internationally. Through many programs such as disaster management, family links and first aid and CPR, the Canadian Red Cross is educating and helping people in need. The Red Cross has changed society in a positive manner by saving millions of lives without any profit. It has effectively run for over 100 years with many donors and support. “The Canadian Red Cross is one of 189 National Societies that along with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) make up the world's largest humanitarian network – also known as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.” (The Canadian Red Cross, 2014) The Red Cross has made a positive impact on the health of the world and has sparked change resulting in social change internationally. The Red Cross has inspired people to reach out and help others.

Whether it is a local flood or a national disaster, there is always one organization there to help, the American Red Cross. Each year the organization turns down no one in need, benefits 70,000 people in disaster relief, along with saving three lives every time a person donates blood. The American Red Cross has evolved through the years and is still known as one of the most important nonprofit organizations in the world.

As an incoming freshman at the University of Texas at Arlington I can say I have been in several organizations that have challenged my social skills. However, they were nothing compared to the discourse community I was a member of. It will be proven time and time again that I indeed was not only a member but also a valuable asset to this community. Let us ponder for a moment on what a discourse community actually is. It consists of many components involving but not limited to ethos, pathos, and logos. All three of which I possess and have mastered in my arts. You must realize what the set boundaries are for it to be included as such. Must sports be included even though it is more physical than conversely active? What about Student Government? Yes, we had conversations and planned events at meetings but our relationship with each other was only to a certain extent. Although my participation in sports and student government contributed to my When I think of a discourse community, automatically I associate it with the experience in my high school band. Our close knit community very well made me the person I am today.

A discourse community is a group of communicators with common goals or purposes that use communication to achieve these goals. A disclosure community goals influence specific genres it uses, and the expectations for communication. Some students here in college have yet to know what they want to major in. Being in the disclosure community has many different options to chose from. The varieties go from radio broadcasting to audio mixing. There is also sports analysis and Video production. The specific major that I chose was video production. As I said before many college students are undecided in what they want to major in, and for me I believe that majoring in a communications class like this is highly recommended.

Discourse communities have existed and been discussed for many years. To become a member of a discourse community one must be a part of something that many people can relate to, experience is a key part of this. At the start of my freshman year I was subjected to change; my life was moved from one location to another, and I was therefore forced to change schools. This changeover had a significant effect on my life moving forward. I had to learn to adjust in a new place, and adapt my personality to make myself more open and outgoing. This task was difficult to say the least, as it was the first time in my life where I was faced with meeting new people, and practically starting over, isn’t the unknown the scariest of all?. However, I was never alone in my struggle. Millions of people throughout the world have been put into the same situation as myself, sometimes even more than once. I am part of a discourse community consisting of students who have moved schools and been forced to adapt and fit into their new situations. Being a member of this community has taught me that life comes with challenges, as

When we got their, and were officially given the title of “twins”, I have never ran so fast in my life, as we did into Hailey’s arm. From that day, we have been the most inseparable family, and I cannot picture what my life was like before I had them. Swales defines a discourse community as “the increasingly common assumption that discourse operates within conventions defined as communities, by academic or social goals.” (page 217) Swales himself defined discourse community with six specific characteristics, but within the community of Pi Beta Phi, your literacy is based off of our 6 core values. Integrity, lifelong commitment, leadership, Personal and intellectual growth, Philanthropic Service to others, and Sincere friendship.

To fill my days with satisfying activity: to find dominant beauty in art, literature, nature, and friendships: to know the peace and serenity of a divine faith: to love life and joyously live each day to its ultimate good: this is my creed in Alpha Sigma Alpha. When asked to write an essay about a discourse community that was dear to my heart, I couldn’t help but to select ASA. I chose to write my essay on Alpha Sigma Alpha because this is where I have found my home at Valdosta State University. I went through formal recruitment in August, and it was the best thing I could have done. The women in Alpha Sigma Alpha have been nothing but encouraging along my process of transitioning to college. Now, you might be a little confused on exactly what a discourse community is and how Alpha Sigma Alpha is an example of one, but throughout this essay I will explain to you some of John Swales characteristics and how we exemplify them within our organization.

My community service work at County Hospital is to care for the rudimentary needs of each patient. My goals are to provide inspiration during the healing process, teach kindness and compassion, and discover my own abilities for empathy. "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I'll try again to tomorrow (Mary Anne Radmacher)." My hope as a volunteer is to help each patient find that voice, find that courage to go forward.

The American Red Cross is a major organization in the United States and around the world. Clara Barton founded the American chapter in 1881. She was a public servant who decided to get involved during the civil war by attending to wounded soldiers and feeding them on the battlefield. Her sense of humanitarian work was only strengthened by her trip to Europe during the Franco Prussian war, where she discovered the initiative of Henri Dunant (Reitman, 1996). After the battle of Solfinero, this Swiss banker was shocked by the carnage of war and decided to gather doctors and volunteers around the village to help tend to the wounded. This action motivated him to create a nonpartisan organization that can focus on caring for people wounded in wars and conflicts regardless of their origin. (Reitman, 1996). The organization was ratified in the 1864 Geneva Convention by twelve countries and later by many others. The United States Red Cross was founded due to the efforts of Barton in Washington (Reitman, 1996). The first chapter of the national American Red Cross was created in upstate New York. Later, the organization received funding to create its national headquarters in Washington. Since then, the Red Cross has benefited form a close relationship with Washington as it was created by congressional charter more than a century ago and plays a

The American Red Cross is an important entity in the world today. In fact, the organization was created over 100 years ago and has done nothing but grow. This is an organization that went from caring for wounded soldiers to being the guiding spirit of many families when disaster of any kind strikes. The American Red Cross must be strong and organized to handle such a large role. Unfortunately, they are usually not strong or organized.

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies through six key areas; disaster relief, lifesaving blood, training and certification, supporting America’s military families, and international services. The American Red Cross has both a mission statement, which defines their objectives and approach, and also a vision statement, which defines their vision and future goals. The mission statement of the American Red Cross reads “The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The American Red Cross’ vision statement reads “The American Red Cross, through its