Disciplinary Alignment--You Are What Conference You Attend

Although it is possible--and in some cases necessary--to develop multiple disciplinary alignments, being recognized as a viable member of multiple fields is not an easy feat. Given the persisting influence of the disciplinary division of labor (Matsuda, 1999), it is important to develop a solid footing in at least one of the main disciplinary contexts. 

One of the most obvious manifestations of disciplinary alignment is conference attendance. If you specialize in second language writing in the United States, that means you would regularly and actively participate in CCCC, AAAL or TESOL as your home conference--in addition to attending the Symposium on Second Language Writing. 

The choice of the conference has implications for what you read, who you associate with, and what kind of jobs you will apply for (and get). 

In any case, working in a transdisciplinary field such as second language writing is not easy because you need to read not just everything that's related to second language writing but read widely in one or more of the related fields.