Marquez 1

Marquez, GabrielMr. Christopher BennettENGL 1113-07921 October 2013

B-boys: Breakin Down the Discourse CommunityThe world is made up of communities that differ in a variety of ways. However, people have found similarities with each other and created a culture. These cultures have evolved over time and have become categorized into groups that can be recognized by other people. James Paul Gees Tools of Inquiry and Discourses describes how people use tools that allow an individual to recognize and categorize others within a social group or culture, while Joseph G Schloss History, Canon, and Community in B-boy Culture delineates the culture of b-boys. A discourse community is described as a characterization and categorization of a group of people that can be recognized by other people. It is a way to describe and identify a group of people by observation and other methods. Gee refers to a discourse as a way of combining and integrating language, actions, interactions, ways of thinking, believing, valuing, and using various symbols, tools, and objects to enact a particular sort of socially recognizable identity (Gee 441). These devices allow people to make assumptions and classify others as part of a certain culture by a variety of means. Some of which include discourse, recognition, kits, social languages, conversations, and mapping. When used effectively, these tools can help an individual accurately identify and categorize a person based on the way they present themselves. Many of the activities and characteristics of b-boys allow them to be classified in the group of a discourse community. B-boys, also known as break dancers, participate in a form of hip-hop dance that originated in New York City in the early 1970s (Schloss 413). In todays world, b-boying exists in the form of battles. These battles are formal contests at which [break dancing] is the primary style performed and virtually all attendees are b-boys and b-girls (Schloss 413). These battles take place in open areas with flat surfaces such as gymnasiums, nightclubs, or even basketball courts. Battles consist of groups that take turns dancing in the middle of a circle of onlookers called the cypher (Schloss 413). In an interview with a b-boy from my high school, he states, Battles can vary in length depending on the number of participants and the number of rounds each crew takes turns. Usually, judges decide who the winner is, but sometimes it is determined by the crowd or audience (Williams). He also mentions that the winner of the battle reaps the benefits of respect and notoriety, while also being able show that, your hard work is paying off (Williams). Members of the b-boy community seem to be very competitive, but the judges make sure that the results are free from discrimination of age, gender, ethnicity, and other demographic issues. B-boys compete in battles with a group commonly referred to as a crew. There are many different crews of b-boys around the world, such as the JabbaWockeeZ, New York City Breakers, and Beat Freaks. These crews are usually signified by certain color schemes that they wear as accessories when practicing or competing. Some crews even have specially made shirts that include a logo or the name of their crew on the front. These shirts are a simple way for b-boys to be recognized. Recognition is one of the tools used to describe a discourse. Gee defines recognition as the act of a person becoming a part of a discourse and being able to be seen as part of a discourse (Gee 443). By having their names and logos printed on the front of their shirts, crews are able to distinguish themselves from others.B-boys usually practice formally in dance studios. Sometimes they even practice informally in any open area on the ground, usually accompanied by a boom box and a large piece of cardboard on the floor, creating a smooth, flat surface. These street dancers are also seen wearing clothing such as baggy pants, snapback hats, beanies, bandanas, wristbands, or even nylon tracksuits. There is also a big emphasis on shoes (Williams). The popular brands of footwear consist of Pumas or Chuck Taylor All Stars, also known as Converses. Shoes are also usually worn with long, Nike socks that cover up the leg just below the calf muscle. This style of fashion represents a b-boys kit. A kit is a specific set of items, attitudes, and characteristics used to identify and describe a discourse. Gee refers to a kit as the use of characteristic sorts of clothes and accessories, how one talks and acts in certain ways, displays certain attitudes and values, and so forth from which one could build to describe a discourse (Gee 450). Kits are the observable items that enable a person to be seen visually as part of a certain discourse. This tool is possibly the easiest to recognize because it primarily focuses on the visible features of an individual.B-boys have certain words that are used to describe the dance moves that they perform. The four main types of movement are the toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. The toprock is a set of moves that are done in standing position (Sanchez). These moves are generally used as a warm up for transitions into other moves. Toprock moves are usually the first moves performed as an entrance and opening display. The downrock is a set of moves performed as footwork on the floor. In this set of movement, both hands and feet are placed on the floor during execution. Downrock moves display a b-boys proficiency in speed and control by performing combinations of footwork movement. A rudimentary move of downrock is known as the 6-step, in which a dancer uses their arms to support their body on the floor, while their legs move around their body in a circle. Power moves are seen as the centerpiece of routines. These moves consist of elements related to speed, momentum, and acrobatics. Some popular types of moves within this category consist of headspins, air flares, UFOs, and 1990s. To elaborate, a headspin is a move in which a dancer spins on their head from a headstand position, maintaining balance in order to stay in position. A freeze is a type of move that involves a stop in movement, holding a position as if frozen in ice (Sanchez). For example, a pike is a move in which one has a hand planted on the ground while lifting the entire body off the ground, perpendicular to the floor with both feet held up in the air. These terms are part of the social language of b-boys. Social language is a device used to enact and recognize different identities in different settings (Gee 440). It is a tool used by members of a discourse to communicate with each other. Members of other discourses are usually unable to understand the vernacular language used within separate discourses. Typically, b-boys like to observe each other and learn new moves to keep up to date with the ever-evolving culture. Conversations of b-boys include main topics of new moves, other dancers, and battles performed by themselves and others. A conversation is a discourse tool that involves the use of words that allude or relate tothemes, debates, or motifs that have been the focus of much talkin some social group with which we are familiar (Gee 441). In other words, conversations are discussions that relate to themes that are familiar and recognizable to people within a social group, or society as a whole. B-boys tend to discuss new moves or battles they saw, or moves they want to learn in the future (Williams). It seems that this discourse community likes to learn new techniques and add more skills to their repertoire in order to improve their performance. Another common topic is the type of music that is used for performance. Each move of b-boying stresses execution in time with the music. Breakbeats are the most common form of music that is used in performance. This style consists of songs that have drum loops at 140 beats per minute (Williams). Apache (Jump On It) by The Sugarhill Gang is a typical song that is used in b-boying. This upbeat song features the use of bongos and drums, allowing for b-boys to effectively execute their moves in time with the repetitive, steady beat.B-boying falls under the category of a hip-hop dance style. It is acknowledged that hip-hop is a broad culture that consists of four elements: break dancing, graffiti, turntablism, and emceeing (Sanchez). With b-boying and breakdancing being part of this culture, it is interrelated with other forms of hip-hop, as well as other dance styles, such as modern and ballet. This alignment with other discourses and social groups is known as mapping. Mapping is a term defined as being able to understand and recognize your own discourse, as well others, as a whole. Gee illustrates mapping as, a discourse grid against which you understand your own and others thought, language, action, and interaction. It isboth the origin and the product of the reality of actual discourses in the world, aligning and disaligning themselves with each other through history (Gee 449).James Paul Gee and Joseph G. Schloss illustrate and describe the b-boy community as a discourse by using tools to recognize and identify b-boys as part of their own social group. The application of these tools assist in proving that b-boys have created their own discourse. The many factors that make up the b-boy culture accurately define that it is, in fact, a discourse community.

Work Cited1. Gee, James Paul. Tools of Inquiry and Discourses Exploring Language. Ed. Gary Goshgarian. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 440-451. Print.2. Schloss, Joseph G. History, Canon, and Community in B-boy Culture Like Old Folk Songs Handed Down from Generation to Generation. Ed. Tufts University: Society for Ethnomusicology, 2006. 411-432. Print.3. Williams, Jerome. Personal Interview. 12 Oct. 2013.4. Sanchez, John Paul. Personal Interview. 9 Oct 2013.