Blog 15

Jessica Brenner

Short Analysis

1 April 2014

Dr. Chandler

Teamwork in a Community Discourse

As an English major, the word “discourse” is something that almost comes naturally now.  To most though, it is a complicated word with multiple definitions that may make absolutely no sense.  In plain English, the word “discourse” simply means, “how language is used or written”.  Besides language, discourse touches upon other aspects such as people and how they work in their community.  In order to fully grasp a community’s discourse, researches, known as ethnographers, spend numerous hours studying and observing actions through discourse analysis.  In a semi or fully developed discourse community, the sense of teamwork and working together play an important role with one another.  No matter what group a person is associated with, working in a team is an inevitable life experience, and is bound to happen.  A community with a sense of teamwork generates both positive and negative energy that bounces off one another.  In this essay, the community teamwork that is mentioned from an interview transcript about the positive aspects of cheerleading will be analyzed.  Note that the interviewer is referred to as J and the interviewee is referred to as G. The interviewer, J, is a college student as well as a cheerleading coach of the discourse community.  The interviewee, G, is a member of the cheerleading team which J coaches.  The concepts that are analyzed involve teamwork as a positive aspect within the discourse community of a cheerleading team.

Excerpt One

J It’s amazing how dedicated you are to your team!  What is your most memorable experience with cheerleading?

G Wow, this is a hard one like I could go on forever with a list of memories but I would have to say nationals last year in Orlando, Florida was most memorable and one I will always remember.  We had such a rough season and it was amazing when we won national champions.  Everyone was crying and hugging one another.  You know, it was such a bittersweet moment.  My team and I worked so hard to become national champions and when we finally did it, the feeling was incredible.  It was my first time at a national competition.  The arena was huge and the lights on the mat were so bright.  The experience as well as the memories made I will never forget.  Like we bonded so well.  It was great.

In this excerpt, J asks the interviewee, G, what her most memorable experience was with cheerleading.  Now, G, as stated in the interview, has been cheering all her life.  When asked about the most memorable moment, instead of choosing a past memory, a more recent memory is chosen as most memorable.  It is here, that readers see G switch from talking about herself using “I” to talking about the team as a whole using “we”.  G starts off her response by stating her personal, individual statement but shifts when she says it is one she would always remember.  Instead of saying that G worked hard or had a rough season, G related to the team as a whole.  It is almost as the team is one well working oil machine that succeeds and fails as one.  Yes in a team, there is no “I” but the question was directed directly towards the interviewee as an individual.  It is interesting that an individual experience turned into a team experience.

Excerpt Two

J Great positive response, there is always so much negativity formed around cheerleaders.  Don’t you think? Don’t you think cheerleaders should be treated as a thletes?

G Oh god, this is my favorite topic!  I always enjoy arguing with people why cheerleaders should be treated as athletes!  Cheerleader’s train, if not the same, then more than any other sport!  We are in the gym for hours perfecting our techniques and our routine.  Cheerleading is not just a season, it is a yearly sport, it never ends.  We are always thinking and doing something to improve our skills.  We have a game plan just like every other sport out there.  We train just as hard as every team out there.  You have someone try and do back flips and stunts within a 2 minute and 30 second routine and then tell me cheerleading is not athletic!  I do not think people know the hard work and dedication that goes into being on a cheerleading team.

In excerpt two, J asks G if cheerleaders should be treated as athletes.  Again, readers see a shift here from “I” to “we”.  Also, during the interview, the interviewee got defensive with the topic.  Normally, in defense, people would defend themselves but here, G defends the team as a whole.  Just after reading the first two excerpts, it is obvious that this cheerleading has a great sense of teamwork and community.  When one fails, they all go down together.  G makes some generalization claims as to cheerleading being a sport because it is all year round but again, when defending skills, technique, and training, G uses “we”.  Here, G is answering a cultural story in defense to cheerleading not being a sport.  Instead of defending cheerleading as a general whole, G defends the community she belongs too.

Excerpt Three

J Great!  So how has cheerleading affected your life in a positive way?

G Well lets see, cheerleading has opened so many new doors in my life!  It has taught me respect and teamwork.  I have also made so many new friends from being on the team throughout the years.  These friends are lifetime friends; we share a bond that no one else will!  Being on a cheerleading team has taught me good sportsmanship and how to be a good team player.  The life lesson I have learned and will learn I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  My coaches are such great role models and although they yell, I know they are so proud and encouraging.  Cheerleading has been a great life lesson and I wish everyone could experience this just like my teammates and I.

In excerpt three, J asks G how cheerleading has positively affected her life.  Unlike the first two excerpts, G speaks as an individual rather than a team.  There is a lot more use of the word “I” here and it is most certainly obvious that G’s feelings are being projected in the answer.  Although G is saying her response from an individual standpoint, the thought of teamwork and lifelong friends is still there.  Also, by pointing out that the coaches yell but are proud and encouraging shows another aspect of the tight niche community.  It shows that the team has a friendly level of respect for their coaches and knows they mean no harm when they are mad.  It is not until the very end of the excerpt do readers see the phrase “teammates and I”.  G wishes that people who do not endure in cheerleading still experience the tight bond which the community shares.

As seen through the interviewee, teamwork is one of the most important characteristics in the discourse community of a cheerleading team.  In a discourse community, people must work and believe in the same common goal in order for something to work.  Cheerleading does not only require external teamwork, like everyone being on the same count, but internal teamwork as well.  It is most definite, after this interview that teamwork is a positive aspect of cheerleading which, in turn positively affects the cheerleader.