John Swales is whom I like to refer to as the father of discourse. His notoriety is proclaimed through genre analysis and his works and tenure with linguistics. However, his background in psychology further explains his desire to analyze how discourse communities interface amongst other communities and within itself.
Due to his expertise in these areas, it is likely that his works target other linguists and those of professional stature. This is seen easily by how the document is organized.
In this article, Swales wishes to address the components of a discourse community and the criterion that distinguishes the group from others.
I believe swales imagined the gap between his understanding and his readers is the complexity in which the communities derive and their development. He wants his audience to connect on a deeper level to the content and understand the use of rhetorical devices to essentially write about writing.
Dive Into Discourse 