We Row, We Swing, We are One
An analysis of the Rowing Discourse.
There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team,’ which means that people work more effectively and efficiently than just one person alone. This same concept applies to the sport of rowing. Rowing, also known as crew, is a sport in which one to eight people use oars to make the boat move. In some cases, there is a coxswain which is a smaller person that steers the boat while giving commands to the rowers and motivating them to go faster in order to win the race. I am in the Discourse of rowing in an 8+ boat which means that there is a coxswain as well as eight rowers in the boat, and each rower has one oar rowing on either the right or left side of the boat.
James Paul Gee, author of “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” defines a Discourse as the “the saying-doing-being-valuing-believing combinations” in a particular social role (6). This is to say that a Discourse is the certain language and actions and beliefs that go together for one to be a part of a social group, or in this case to be a part of the rowing Discourse. Darcy Fiano uses Gee’s work and his seven building tasks to analyze how Discourses interact with people in real life situations. In addition to these two authors and their works, I use the USRowing rulebook and a Rowing-101 Glossary to help illustrate that rowing is Discourse that concentrates on the values of unity and solidarity whether it be in the boat or on land.
The Discourse of Rowing
Rowing as a Secondary Discourse
It is clear that Crew is a Discourse, but specifically it is a secondary, non-dominant Discourse. A secondary discourse is a social role that is learned in a “non-home-based social institution” and with other people that are “beyond the family and immediate kin and peer group” (Gee 8). This differs from a primary Discourse because a primary Discourse is learned inside the family and at home whereas a secondary Discourse is not. In the sport of rowing the youngest class at which kids can compete in is the youth class, which is when one is “enrolled in secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma” (The United States Rowing Association 29). Therefore, rowing is a secondary discourse since it is learned when the student is in high school and outside of the family.
Rowing as a Non-Dominant Discourse
Rowing is considered a non-dominant Discourse because it “brings solidarity with a particular social network, but not wider status and social goods in the society at large” (Gee 8). Although rowing may not bring any social goods like money, it has an immense amount of solidarity. In Crew the boat moves fastest when all eight rowers are unified and moving their weight together at the same time and in harmony: this is known as the “swing” of the boat (Dresser). When the rowers cooperate together, they are able to apply force all at the same time which propels the boat the farthest.
The sport of rowing is also a part of a social network since crews come together to race one another. Rowers and coaches interact with one another and with other crews as well. This social network is important for when one crew is having issues, others will come together to help them out with whatever they may need. Unity is the most important part of this secondary, non-dominant Discourse and those in the rowing Discourse recognize the solidarity between the rowers, coxswains, coaches and other teams in the rowing community.
The Language of Rowing
There are many terms, words and commands that are used in the rowing community that it can be easy to become an outsider to the Discourse. If one attends a race, they will hear many words that may be strange to them because the communication between the rowers and their coxswain is like a foreign language. The coxswain is making specific calls to direct the rowers whether they are carrying the boat or in the boat. One of the calls a coxswain may make involves a specific part of the stroke.
The catch is the first part of the stroke where “the blade enters the water and initiates the drive of each stroke” and the drive is when the rowers press down their legs and propel the boat forward (Dresser).
A coxswain will start to yell catch to indicate to the rowers at what time they should all be putting their oars in the water; this is to ensure that everyone is rowing together and to get them back working together if they are not.
Sign Systems
When the coxswain makes any call in general it is a part of a sign system. According to Fiano, sign systems are “forms of knowledge that are relevant in context and how they are used” (67). With the coxswain saying this to the crew, the rowers know that they should be putting their oar in the water when the coxswain says catch. This particular piece of language is important because it is one of the key elements of the stroke, and without it the rowers wouldn’t know when to put their oars in the water which would result in the boat not moving. Furthermore, by the coxswain saying catch it enacts a practice. The coxswain gives the command and the rowers respond with the appropriate action: in this case it would be putting their oar in the water. There are many terms used in competitive rowing, and even though catch is one of the most basic terms in the sport, it is one of the most important for it helps the rowers become unified and row as one.
http://www.row2k.com/features/368/Rowing-101---Glossary/#.Vl5yXN-rTow
The Aprenticeship
Beginning as a Novice
Feeling a part of a team and having that sense of belongingness with people is something that most people enjoy, and this solidarity comes with the Discourse of rowing. Many people may want to become a part of this Discourse for this reason and in order to do that, one must go through apprenticeship. Gee defines the act of apprenticeship as the
“enculturation into social practices through scaffolded and supported interaction with people who have already mastered the Discourse” (Gee 7).
In other words, apprenticeship is when a person learns and practices under one who is already in, and mastered, the Discourse. In rowing this would look like a novice, one who “is in their first season of competition,” and is learning from an experienced coach (Dresser). An apprentice in this particular Discourse will learn a lot in their first season such as many of the terms used by coxswains and coaches as well as the parts of the boat and above all, how to row.
https://readyallrow.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/novice-rowers-vs-varsity-rowers/
Filtering into Discourses
Since rowing involves a large vocabulary of terms, it may help an apprentice or a novice make the transition into the Discourse easier if they are able to use some of their background knowledge. One who is trying to become a part of the rowing Discourse may be able to transfer some of their basic boating knowledge to learn more about the Discourse of rowing. Gee refers to this practice as filtering which “represents a transfer of features from secondary Discourses into primary Discourses” (Gee 15). Although Gee is saying that this transfer of knowledge is only from a secondary to a primary Discourse, I disagree and believe that one can transfer knowledge between secondary Discourses to further understand a specific Discourse.
From Boating to Rowing
In Crew, there are a few basic terms that are the same throughout all boating Discourses and one may be able to transfer this language into the Discourse of rowing. The words ‘bow’ and ‘stern’ refer to the front and back of the boat while the words ‘starboard’ and ‘port’ to the right and left sides of the boat. These terms are the same for many boats because they are common directions found in any type of boat, whether it be a crew boat or a motor boat. So, if one owns a boat and takes the boat out every now and then and understands how to steer the boat and dock the boat, then they should be able to filter this information into the competitive Discourse of rowing. By doing this, it will help one become more acquainted with the Discourse and possibly facilitate their apprenticeship. This concept of transferring knowledge may help one become a part of the rowing Discourse and finally feel the cohesion of the rowing community.
All Together Now
Rowing is a sport that is all about unity and togetherness and these values are deeply rooted in the Discourse. As Gee mentioned before, valuing is a key part of the combination that makes a particular social group or social role a Discourse.
The biggest value in rowing is the concept of unity and being a part of a team. Although it is important for rowers and teammates to be supportive of one another, it is equally if not more essential for the rowers to be in harmony in the boat. If the rowers are not on the same page and are not rowing together, the boat will move less efficiently costing the crew the race. The solidarity amongst the team as well as the eight rowers in the boat emerges not only as the effect of the results in a competition, but also as an effect on the entire practice of the rowing Discourse. This value of unity is what the Discourse of rowing, and the rowing community are all about.
The sport of rowing is a complex, secondary, non-dominant Discourse that provides a sense of belongingness and support to anyone who is a part of it. It involves people communicating with words in a language that is only familiar to those in that social group, and how others respond to this language with the correct, corresponding actions. Through the entire race, the coxswain is constantly communicating with the rowers where he or she says one thing and the rowers carry through with the appropriate action. This language from the coxswain helps the rowers unite and row effectively in order to win the race.
The values of community and rowing as one are deeply enrooted in the sport. Rowing is much more than the physical aspect of moving a boat down a river; it is about the connection and relationship between a coxswain and a rower, and the harmony in which they row in as well as the solidarity that they have for one another.
