Changing Climate, Changing Terrain: The Stasis Metaphor and the Climate Crisis

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 2022

Changing Climate, Changing Terrain: The Stasis Metaphor and the Climate Crisis

Shelton Weech Purdue University West Lafayette

Abstract

Rhetorical theory has frequently relied on metaphors of place and positioning as heuristics to build better arguments. This article utilizes one such metaphor, that of stasis theory, as a method by which we might change the terrain of the conversation surrounding the climate crisis. As an example, the author does a rhetorical analysis of a recent agricultural report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment and finds that, rather than using traditional questions of conjecture and quality, the authors of the report focus on questions of procedure and definition to reframe the discussion surrounding the climate crisis. Drawing from the rhetoric in this report, the author suggests that technical communicators might similarly produce more fruitful conversations around the climate crisis if they focus on what to do (procedure) and redefining the crisis as a local issue (definition).

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 2022-01-01
DOI: 10.1177/0047281620966988
Open Access: Closed
Topics: rhetorical theory argument

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Pandey (2025)

A Comparative Rhetorical Analysis of Trump and Biden's Climate Change Speeches:…

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Murray (2023)

POWHR to the People: Fighting for Climate Justice and Opposing the Mountain Val…

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Cites in this index (6)

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Technical Communication Quarterly
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Technical Communication Quarterly
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Philosophy & Rhetoric
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Framing and Re-Framing in Environmental Science: Explaining Climate Change to t…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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Brizee (2008)

Stasis Theory as a Strategy for Workplace Teaming and Decision Making

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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