A discourse community is made up of a group of individuals who share the same values, beliefs, goals, terminology, and have types of ranks in power and authority. According to Gee, “Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes” (Gee, 1989, p. 6,7). Keeping these characteristics in mind, I was able to figure out whether or not the community I observed at the Museum of Natural Resources was a discourse community. After my observations, interview, and research, I have determined that the people at the Museum of Natural Sciences do not make up a discourse community. This is due to the fact that there was such a variety of people at the museum with different interests. There were visitors at the museum who wanted to see and experience the exhibits; there were employees, volunteers and interns helping answer questions for the visitors; there were security guards making sure that people could find their way around the museum; and there were scientists doing research. All of these different groups of people made up the populations at the museum and they all had different goals and purposes.​