Conformity In A Community

975 Words2 Pages

Be yourself. This simple phrase is practically drilled into the minds of children as they grow up. It’s an elementary concept, and everyone is told they are unique as a snowflake, completely special. When we grow up, this task becomes more difficult. No matter how free to we think we are, there’s always some level of conformity that each of us is subject to, even without realizing it. How real can one person really be? Do the communities we join challenge our ability to be genuine? Today I’d like to discuss the ways people are swayed by various communities and the daring potential of being wholly and authentically ourselves. If someone is concerned with being authentic, they should ask themselves this: Who am I? This is an easy question to …show more content…

Porter describes a discourse community as, “a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approves channels and whose discourse is regulated,” (Porter). This idea of being authentic can apply to discourse communities as well. Being in a community, especially a discourse community, changes a person.If someone spends a lot of time with a particular group of people, they are more likely to use the same words and expressions that the group does. Another example of this is a television discourse community revolving around the show Friends. Although I don’t watch the series, I have a lot of friends that do. Because they are a part of it, they seem to reference and quote the show quite often. This shows intertextuality within their daily conversations. Because they are conforming to this discourse community, the community is influencing their actions and words. The words they speak are not their own. No! They are merely reflections of the discourse they are a part of. If this cycle keeps spinning, how is there any room for originality? Here is where I believe a problem …show more content…

In order to maintain a place there, it seems like people are blatantly expected to forgo their individuality and conform to the standards of the group. This makes sense, but what if I choose to be a part of multiple communities whose standards are in conflict with one another? This is where things get a little sticky. A research professor at the University of Houston, Brené Brown, says authenticity is, “It's the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen,” (Brown). From what I’ve observed, there are so many facets of the human personality. Even when part of different communities that conflict with one another, as long as we are wholly invested and raw in that moment, it is possible to be

Open Document