Learning Session Overview
In this learning session, we’ll practice using the stases: an ordered series of questions that underlie the structure and content of arguments. First-order stases address questions of fact, definition, and cause; second-order stases address questions of action, value, and jurisdiction. While the stases have historically been used in the process of outlining or preparing arguments, this framework also proves a powerful tool for rhetorical analysis, as it uncovers the rhetor’s relationship to (and assumptions about) the audience, context, and intended impact of their arguments. As such, this Learning Session builds on foundational concepts in rhetoric by providing intermediate-level vocabulary and practice for understanding and evaluating rhetorical artifacts.
Preparation and Instructions
This learning session is designed to take about 50 minutes. It includes 2 short videos and 3 informal writing activities. Your activity writing in this learning session is private and ungraded—you won't need to submit it on Canvas. Instead, you will choose your own writing space. You can handwrite your responses in a personal notebook, type them into a notes application or word processor, or use whatever mode makes sense to you as a writer in this class. Keep your writing space easily accessible, as you'll use it throughout the session and be asked to revisit some of your responses multiple times across activities.
After you have viewed the videos and completed the writing activities, you will participate in this discussion thread as your final deliverable, submitting entries in accordance with your instructor's course policies and requirements for discussions, including number and type of posts or replies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing this session, you should be able to do the following:
Use the stases to identify rhetorical qualities in composing situations.
Apply the stases to analyze common sticking points in a public controversy
Apply the stases in individual reflection to rethink, re-see, and ultimately revise your work
Contents
Warmup (5 minutes)
Part One: Using the Stases for Rhetorical Analysis (30 minutes)
Part Two: Using the Stases for Reflective Practice (10 minutes)
Cool-Down (5 minutes)
Discussion
Rhetorical Analysis Using the Stases
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Warmup activities like stretching and low-rate cardio are critical for preparing your body for exercise; similarly, reflection and writing prepare your mind for learning, priming your cognitive resources and activating prior knowledge and experience.
Activity #1: Warmup Writing
To start, spend about 5 minutes writing a response to the following prompt:
Reflect on an ongoing debate or disagreement you’ve had with a family member or friend that never seems to get resolved, but rather reverts back to the same arguments each time it comes up. Why do you think you are stuck on this issue instead of making progress?
Part One: Using the Stases for Rhetorical Analysis (30 Minutes)
This section introduces the first-order stases (fact, definition, and cause) and second-order stases (action, value, and jurisdiction) and how to use this framework to analyze texts and public controversies.
Video: "Using the Stases for Rhetorical Analysis"
Activity #2: Identifying Stases in Online Discourse
After watching the video, access your writing space and spend 25–30 minutes completing the three steps below.
Step 1: Find a YouTube video involving an ongoing issue of public debate or a recent/trending controversial event.
Be sure to choose a video that has lots of comments in the comment section. You can explore any controversy that is important to you as a person, a researcher, or both! Note that you don’t need to watch the entire video, though it may be helpful to watch the first few minutes to get a feel for the issue. If you’re not sure where to begin, consider some of these controversies in education:
Note: some YouTube comments may be hateful, offensive, or otherwise toxic, so when selecting a video for this activity, consider how discussion of certain topics might impact your wellbeing.
Step 2: Collect comments that take a stance on the video topic.
Scroll through the comment section and copy around ten or more comments to your writing space. Stance-taking comments are those that engage with the video topic, such as those that state or refute a claim or opinion, provide evidence found elsewhere (e.g., other sources; personal knowledge or experience), agree or disagree with the video’s stance, engage in debate with other commenters, and so on. Ignore any comments regarding the quality of the video, the narrator(s) appearance or presentation style, unrelated issues, or personal attacks on individuals or groups that take an opposing stance.
As you collect, try to find a range of viewpoints or different stances raised by users. At the same time, take note of any stasis that is addressed more frequently than others, since this can indicate a common sticking point preventing resolution. Don't worry about finding the very best comments or analyzing especially confusing or tricky examples. Instead, focus more on practicing how to identify these sticking points.
Step 3: Try to determine the order and stasis for each comment you collected.
Use the following questions to guide your analysis. Identifying the specific stasis can be challenging, so if you’re not sure which one applies, you can at least discern the order (i.e., whether it addresses a first-order stasis, second-order stasis, or both). Note that multiple stases can be addressed within a single comment.
First-Order Stases (FOS)
Fact. Is the commenter addressing whether or not the event occurred or details are correct?
Cause. Is the commenter addressing what caused the event or issue?
Definition. Is the commenter addressing definitions regarding the issue?
Second-Order Stases (SOS)
Action: Is the commenter addressing what can or should be done about the issue?
Value: Is the commenter addressing whether aspects of the controversy are important/unimportant, good/bad, ethical/unethical, etc.?
Jurisdiction: Is the commenter addressing who is responsible for deciding or adjudicating the issue or who is capable of taking action?
For a helpful example, see the following table of 20 YouTube comments (from the comment section for "White Nose Syndrome Is Killing Millions of Bats") coded by order and stasis. Note that you’re not expected to make a table like this one. Instead, you can use whatever means of notation or organization you want.
Table: YouTube Comments on "White Nose Syndrome Is Killing Millions of Bats" Coded by Order and Stasis
Username
Comment
(First-Order Stases in italics; Second-Order Stases underlined)
First-Order Stases
(Fact, Cause, Definition)
Second-Order Stases
(Action, Value, Jurisdiction)
Abandoned and Forgotten Places
. . . I explore abandoned mines in the desert Southwest US. I’ve only found one dead bat in the last six months of exploring.
Fact
Grey Garcia
[White Nose Syndrome is] not a bacteria, its a fungus...
Fact; Definition
BTW
How does fungus kill them? They just don't have to eat it then problem solved
Fact
Action
Nicholas Stavinoha
@BTW: they don[']t eat the fungus, the spore attach themselves to the bats while they hibernate and feed on the bat. ...
Fact
ShadowDrift
NA NA NA NA NA NA Batman! But seriously, we need to help the bats.
Action
Katherine Blauser
. . . [US bats] have no immunity against the fungus . . . because it was recently introduced [from Europe] within the past 15 years . . .
Fact; Cause
JCI1990
GMO's are causing this. [The bats are] eating bugs that have been effected by GMO crops
Cause
Thuggerbae
Actually it was because of humans, the human male came from Europe to NY and introduced [White Nose Syndrome] to US Bats.
Cause
Raidori17
Maybe they can alter the bats mating patterns to make them mate and reproduce more. . .
Action
Jermainé Loreaux
[Bats] are the biggest reservoir of fatal viruses. This fungus is human saving grace & I hope bats will be extinct similar to dinosaurs & etc.
Fact
Value
Olivia 757
@Jermainé Loreaux: actually bats are pollinators which are important to the environment.
Fact
Value
EnviroShapiro
No, even if we lose like 90% of bats, there’s no way they’re endangered. There are millions of them still not like polar bears.
Definition
Toby or Not Toby the MC
. . . I doubts the cave tour companies or whoever will do the right thing because of the $$$ they would lose . . .state parks people need to step in before it spreads out west.
Jurisdiction; Action
Sweetyhide
Dang. This is terrible. Wonder if there is anything the average person can do to help? . . .
Value; Action; Jurisdiction
Critter
This is such a horrible development for all these cute/beautiful Bats . . . I hope they can find a cure at some point to help the remaining Bats . . .
Value; Action
Justin Pipes
How did this fungus get to America and why are we not punishing those who brought it in?
Cause
Action
TheMW2informer
. . . [bats are] a huge annoyance to citizens and most people have considered this a lucky thing to help thin out the population to a reasonable level!
Definition
Value
Eva Roop
We found a [dead] bat in our flower bed. . . . We probably should of contacted authorities about where to leave the bat for studies.
Fact
Action; Jurisdiction
Amaziah of Judah
Just clone the bats, to regrow the population . . . . [China] could do this in the name of international cooperation . . .
Action; Jurisdiction
Tim S
@Amaziah of Judah: [cloning the bats] doesn't solve the problem of no fungal cure being available . . .
Action
Part Two: Using the Stases for Reflective Practice (10 Minutes)
This section covers using the stases as a tool to reflect on three features of your own writing: order, focus, and kairos.
Video: "Using the Stases for Reflective Practice"
Activity #3: Self-Evaluation of a Work in Progress
After watching the video, access your writing space. Look at a project draft you are currently working on (for this course, if applicable). Alternately, if you don't have a draft in progress, you can use other writing projects you've created or are in the process of creating. Spend about 10 minutes writing a self-evaluation of your draft by answering the following prompts:
Reflect on the order in which you address each stasis. Ask yourself:
Have I attended to matters of fact, definition, and cause before jumping to matters of value, action, and jurisdiction?
What background knowledge, experiences, and beliefs am I drawing on to make my argument and how have these shaped my position?
Reflect on the focus of your writing by identifying the main stasis in which you are addressing your audience. Ask yourself:
Which stasis do I address the most and why?
What assumptions do I make about my reader’s positions or prior knowledge?
Reflect on the kairos (timeliness) of your writing. Ask yourself:
What is the right time and place for my call to action?
Am I addressing this to an audience with the jurisdiction to act meaningfully?
Reflect on other ways to incorporate these ideas into your reflective practice. Ask yourself:
How else can I use the stases as a tool to improve my work?
Cool-Down (5 minutes)
Cooling down after exercise is equally as important as warming up beforehand; similarly, taking a moment to reflect in writing at the end of classes and study sessions helps solidify your learning, shifting key information into long-term memory and improving your outcomes.
Activity #4: Takeaways
After completing the entire learning session up to this point (activities #1–3), spend about 5 minutes writing a response the following prompt in your writing space:
Reflect on your learning in this session. What are your biggest takeaways from the material? How have the stases informed your understanding of controversies, online discourse, and your own writing?
Discussion
For the final deliverable of this learning session, participate in this discussion thread. This post will be seen by your instructor and others in your course as a final reflection on what you have learned about using the stases for rhetorical analysis and reflective practice from these videos and activities. Remember to consider your instructor's course policies for discussion participation when completing this activity, including expectations regarding the number and type of posts or replies.
Discussion post prompt:
In Activity #1: Warmup Writing, you reflected on an ongoing debate or disagreement you’ve had with a family member or friend that never seems to get resolved, but rather reverts back to the same arguments each time it comes up. Could you use the stases to better understand this situation—or potentially get unstuck and and make progress towards resolving it? How so?
Note: You don't need to disclose specifics about the disagreement (such as the topic, your position, or the identities and positions of the people involved) if you would prefer not to share them with your peers and instructor in this Discussion. You can instead focus on the particular stasis or stases that are most relevant to your undisclosed situation and what steps you could take, generally speaking, towards resolution.
To post your reply, choose the "Reply" button. Once you post, you will be able to read and respond others' posts in the class.