Studio 7

The discourse communities we have in todays society have developed over time. After

an apocalypse, society would essentially be starting over again. The discourse communities we

have would have to be re-established. At first, the discourse communities that would form would

be ones that establish communities. The discourses necessary for our survival - farming,

engineering (to create tools and shelters), medicine, etc.- could not form without community with

different roles for different members. However, our roles wouldnt require a lot of critical

thinking. We wouldnt be focused on the discourses that deal with more intellectual topics until

we had established the institutions that would ensure our survival. Eventually, many years down

the line, the institutions that would exist would be similar to the ones we have today. After a few

generations, we would forget significant aspects of todays society, such as our history and the

controversies that exist now. Many of the same controversies would reappear eventually because

human history tends to repeat itself, but they may be sparked by different events.

Realistically, my role in a post-apocalyptic world would in the farming or medicine

discourses. It is possible in my lifetime that I would see institutions other than the ones necessary

for survival form, but I wouldnt ever have a significant role in them. I mostly likely wouldnt

use rhetorical skills much, because my purpose would not be to have a voice. My purpose would

be to keep the people in my community alive. This is different from society now, especially in

America, because we feel security right now that we will survive. Living in a post-apocalyptic

world would alter our discourse communities because we would not need institutions of law and

order or thought, but institutions of survival.