PWR 2HKA: In the Moment: The Rhetoric of Time

Photo credit: Jon Tyson
Time flies. Time is money. Time is of the essence.
Time, and our conception of it, shapes our lives. Industrial capitalism ushered in an era of speed. New technologies promise greater productivity but have also disrupted our ability to concentrate. We scroll for hours. We get bored easily. Time is about work and leisure, and the contested border between the two.
As college students, you might obsess over time management hacks. Or ruminate how best to use your four precious years at Stanford. Or perhaps you find yourself rejecting a hyper-scheduled regimen in favor of a meandering stroll in the redwoods.
In this course, you will develop your written and oral communication skills by undertaking a quarter-long research project on the topic of your choice. You will conduct original research by selecting a particular person, group, or subculture, whose rhetoric or perspective interests you. Your task is to investigate this social world and analyze rhetoric that has been overlooked by other scholars. In other words, you will bring us into a moment—shedding light on their ideologies, worldview, and rhetorical practices.
The concept of time is our course theme. It might also provide inspiration for your research project. But the research project is open-ended; it is your opportunity to explore what interests you.
Examples of Research Projects
- The attention economy and the internet
- Medical interventions to forestall aging
- Apocalyptic climate visions
- Marketing new technologies to increase productivity
- The politics of nostalgia
- How holidays and festivals have changed over time
- Conflicts about employees working from home
- Afro-futurism in literature
- Recurring fashion trends
- New instruments of financial speculation
When it comes to research and scholarly discourse, making a timely argument is crucial. As writers, we have to figure out the optimal starting points and ending points for our arguments, how to make our writing coherent, and how to defeat procrastination in the process. As presenters, we must consider our presence, how to capture the audience’s attention, and how to use our limited time wisely.
PWR 2 Assignment Sequence
Research Proposal
(5-minute oral presentation; written text of 900–1,200 words): The proposal situates your project amid the relevant scholarly literature, identifies a research gap, and introduces texts that you will analyze as evidence.
Written Research-Based Argument
(3,000–3,600 words): The essay advances an argument based on evidence that intervenes in the scholarly literature.
Delivery of Research
(10-minute oral presentation): The presentation adapts the argument for oral delivery. You will hone your presence as a presenter, attending to voice, body, and slide design.
Genre/Modes Assignment
(600–900 words): This reflective assignment provides you with the space to consider your development as a writer and a speaker throughout the quarter.