The "Kairotic" Struggle Is Real

Creating a schema by re-envisioning the arguments presented in Chapter three of “The Available Means of Persuasion,” by David M. Sheridan, Jim Ridolfo, and Anthony J. Michel, allowed Netty and I to demonstrate the struggle of decision making in the writing process by utilizing the application, MindNode Lite. Sherdian et al. dive into the root of the discussion by defining “kairos” as “the way rhetors negotiate or ‘struggle’ with and against the contexts as they seek a particular outcome” (50). Initially, we referred to Figure 3 on page 54, which presents the main concerns of the “kairotic struggle” (60) in a hexagonal formation. After dissecting and rearranging the components of the figure, Netty and I were able to present the discussion in a cascading format, allowing the branches to demonstrate the process of decision-making in a “before” (invention) and “after” (circulation) sequence.


Because Chapter three of “The Available Means of Persuasion” focuses on the “kairotic struggle” and the process of composing a product, the schema is centered on the “kairotic struggle,” while further exploring the process of invention and circulation. In terms of invention, the rhetor must take into account the mode, media, genre, audience, and exigency that encompass the process prior to composing. Mode (the form of the product) and media (how the product is created) have multiple influences, including socially, symbolically, and materialistically. The audience, linguistic devices, and availability of materials are vital concerns when partaking in the invention process.


Circulation, which is distinguished as the route that a product takes after completion (through various avenues of media), was expanded by way of material/cultural fields, modes, genres, and media. Material importance is also addressed in circulation, as well as invention, due to the availability and diversity of material options. How a rhetor chooses to disburse a completed work, such as the consideration of categorizing under a specific genre or the options of material and cultural fields, challenges the rhetor to make clear decisions that can vastly influence the final product.


The schema we created complicated Sherdian et al’s initial visual representation, while expanding on the process of invention and circulation. Multimodal rhetoric is explored by discussing the usage of media, and distribution of content is presented. Additionally, the idea that distribution strictly occurs in the circulation process is challenged, which demonstrates that the process of invention is just as prevalent as circulation.




Works Cited

Sheridan, David M., Ridolfo, Jim, and Michel, Anthony J. “Kairos and Multimodal Public Rhetoric.” The Available Means of Persuasion. Anderson: Parlor Press, 2012. 50-74. PDF.