Conclusions

Through my research on the field and my observations, I determined that the department here at NC State, as I observed it, is indeed a discourse community. In my studies, however, I learned a good deal more about the biomedical engineering program here as a whole, and gained some incredibly useful advice along the way. First, I learned that yes, there are in fact specific disciplines within the major itself, so if I decide I want to focus on biomaterials, that is indeed an option of focus. I also learned that there are plenty of research opportunities ready at my disposal, as long as I message the right people. I met people to give me advice on these applications and that they will be a resource to utilize when drafting said applications. Furthermore, I learned that the relationship between the elders in the group and the novices is a very welcoming and friendly one. Should I go into this field, I know that I will be treated with respect, and will give respect to those within the program as well. The research aspect of my observations was definitely my point of interest. While determining the relationships between people, the specific texts used, and the interactions between members was interesting when talking about research, I found myself incredibly interested in the topics of research and discussion. I even asked several questions in regards to Brinnae’s specific research and her area of expertise, which allowed me to view the field as one with great possibilities and opportunities for advancement, as well as help me determine what exactly I want to do within the program. I also found the jargon a very interesting topic of discussion. Having taken several biomedical engineering gauged courses already, I was able to understand most of what was presented to me, and I felt included within the community, even if just a little bit. I was able to ask more knowledgeable questions, and make more logical assumptions and understand concepts presented to me better due to this prior exposition to the biomedical engineering field. In the process I was surprised to learn how members interact with one another, making the prior assumption that the more knowledgeable members were pretentious and pompous, as engineers tend to receive that reputation. Throughout this process, I also learned a large amount about discourse and discourse communities in general. Beforehand, I was struggling to grasp the concepts presented in class, however, given time to research a group on my own and having to rely heavily on the ideas presented by Swales and Gee, I have a much greater understanding of discourse. The discourse community I observed has aspects that make them unique from other groups including language, communication, and interactions between members. This research has helped me understand what it means to be part of a discourse.