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

Time flies. Time is money. Time heals all wounds.

Time, and our conception of it, shapes our lives. Industrial capitalism ushered in an era of speed. New technologies promise greater productivity and time-savings. Technologies like the internet also bring distractions. Time is about work and leisure, and how we find meaning and purpose in life. As college students, you might obsess over time management hacks, scheduling your classes for the quarter, or making the most of your four years at Stanford.

When it comes to research and scholarly discourse, making a timely argument is crucial. As writers, we must figure out how to begin the argument, organize our ideas, and avoid procrastination. As presenters, we must consider our presence, how to capture the audience’s attention, and how to use our limited time wisely.

In this course, you will develop your writing and oral communication skills by undertaking a quarter-long research project on a 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.

Our course theme is the concept of time. It might provide inspiration for your research topic. But the research project is open-ended; it is your opportunity to explore what interests you.

Examples of Research Projects

• Medical interventions to forestall aging
• Apocalyptic climate visions
• The politics of nostalgia
• How holidays and festivals have changed over time
• The attention economy and social media
• Debates about employees working from home
• Hyper-scheduled childhoods
• Corporate mindfulness programs
• Afro-futurism in literature
• Recurring fashion trends

PWR 2 Assignment Sequence

Research Proposal 

(900-1200 words; 3-4 pages; 3-4 minute live oral presentation): This assignment 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 

(3000-3600 words; 10-12 pages): Building on your Research Proposal, this essay advances an argument based on evidence that intervenes in the scholarly literature. You will support your argument by presenting and analyzing the rhetoric of texts related to your case study.

Delivery of Research 

(10 minute live oral presentation with appropriate multimedia support): The presentation adapts the argument for oral delivery. You will hone your presence as a presenter, attending to voice, body, and slide design.