Activities for Subject Matter Knowledge

Activity 2.3A

Many professions—both academic and public—have organizations that shape, or even govern, the subject matter for those fields, professions, or trades. The following activity is adapted from the eBook Methods of Discovery – Online Writing Guide.

Choose two or three professional organizations; you may wish to find some related to your major and your future profession. Review their web sites. As directed by your instructor, discuss or write responses to the following questions:

• What topics of discussion, issues, problems, or concerns keep these organizations together? And what constitutes new knowledge for them? Is it created experimentally, through discussion, or through a combination of these two and other methods?
• How would you characterize the kinds of language each of these organizations uses? Is it formal, informal, complex, simple, and so on? How are the organization’s reasons for existence you listed in the first question reflected in their language?
• Think of several classes you are currently taking. How do the discourses used in them differ from one another? Think about topics discussed, ways of making knowledge accepted in them, the degree of formality of the language used, and so on.
• Think of several classes you are currently taking. How do the discourses used in them differ from one another? Think about topics discussed, ways of making knowledge accepted in them, the degree of formality of the language used, and so on.
• What written documents does this organization produce? These may include books, professional journals, newsletters, and other documents.
• What is the purpose of those documents, their intended audience, and the language that they use? How different are these documents from one organization to the next?
• How often does this organization come into contact with other organizations? What kinds of conversations take place? How are conflicts and disagreements negotiated and resolved? How does each group adjust its discourse to hear the other side and be heard by it?