Stasis Theory For Your Academic Success

Some students think that the only goal of a writer is to create simple and readable content, remaining professional and academic. However, you should also provide reliability and accuracy of the mentioned information and the only way to achieve this is to understand the discussed subject.

This means that you need to research as much as you can before working on the writing itself. Researching is a great way to learn new data, which is supported by evidence and can greatly improve your critical thinking.

This leads us to the most common problem any student has to face: where to find information and how to process it. Luckily, there is a plan, which can help you along the way and it is called stasis theory. In this article, I will tell you what it is about and how to use it effectively in your writing.

Definition

Stasis theory is a rhetorical approach, which aims to determine the goal of a certain debate issue. It was introduced by Aristotle (or Hermagoras according to other sources) and was used by rhetoricians and philosophers since ancient times.

These great minds defined key questions, which were first used in legal cases. Mentioned questions were used in a particular order because the answer on every question depended on the previous one.

Stasis theory is very useful for writing essays, conducting research and working as a part of a team. When stasis theory is used, it aims to determine the following elements:

• Conjecture, i.e. facts;
• Meaning of the issue (its definition);
• Importance of the issue (its quality);
• Plan of actions (so-called policy).

Remember, it is crucial to follow the proper order of the theory. However, to simplify the process you can divide every category into subcategories. Below is an example of how you can divide mentioned stages to get the maximum benefits out of the writing process.

Fact

• Did anything happen?
• What was the cause of the event?
• Can the event be changed?

For example, does climate change exist? What caused it? What can we do about it?

Definition

• Nature of the problem;
• What sort of a problem it is?
• What parts make up the problem and how they interlink?

For example, is climate change defined solely as global warming or it includes other issues?

Quality

• Does it have a positive or a negative impact?
• How serious the problem is?
• What are its consequences and who is the most affected by the issue?
• What will happen if the problem is solved?

For example, are changes in the ecosystem really harmful? Who is the most affected?

Policy

• Should any actions be applied?
• What groups of people or individuals are involved in the process of solving the problem?
• What actions should be done?
• What should happen to resolve the issue?

For example, is it necessary to find a solution to climate changes? Who should be involved?

Research

Stasis theory is a great solution for writers, who are willing to get maximum information on the studied subject. It is a key element of successful work, so you need to understand the theory’s basic principles not depending on the type of assignment you have.

Stasis theory acts as a list of the most efficient analytical questions that help in collecting the most recent and relevant information.

When you are working on the questions, you need to evaluate multiple sources: literature, interviews, databases, journals, polls and much more. Stasis approach helps not only to get access to the most accurate information on the research but also assists in exploring the issue even before shaping a thesis.

For example, you are given a very challenging topic and you need to provide your own opinion and arguments. Before you shape your own ideas, you can apply all the stasis questions and explore the subject. This will help you to decide what side you are on and what your ideas on the matter are.

In addition, stasis theory questions help in identifying gaps in your knowledge. If you can’t answer two or more questions, this means that you must conduct deeper research.

Teamwork

When you are asked to work as a part of a team, stasis approach helps to find common issues by starting a dialogue until the consensus is found.

To provide an example, let us again return to the question of global warming and whether it is caused only by the harmful behavior of the planet’s inhabitants.

While parts of the team may think that climate change was caused by people, others would disagree. Reaching a certain stasis means finding an idea or term, which everyone could agree with.

Even though team members may have different opinion on whether climate changes were caused by people or not, all of them agree that those changes have a negative effect on Earth (fact), it leads to endangering of multiple species (fact) and of course everyone will agree that this problem influences us all (quality).

In such a way a stasis will be reached in at least two categories (quality and fact) but they would still disagree on the definition (whether the problem is caused by people or by other issues) and the policy (what actions should be taken to solve the problem).

Even if opinions differ, this theory helps to create and hold a dialogue and to write a strong paper. Without such a theory, members of the team would probably drown in arguments and would feel stressed about the assignment.

You should remember that working in a team means that you should always use arguments and reach a consensus if members have different opinion. For example, you can make a list of different reasons why people should be blamed for global warming and also provide arguments why they shouldn’t. Let the reader decide whose side to choose.

Many field experts name stasis theory a sort of research guideline. Simply by using its standard questions, you will be able to get maximum information on the matter, shape your own opinion and write an assignment, which will be filled with credible data. This theory is also of great use for teams because it helps to find common grounds and solve conflict situations.

Remember, stasis theory is all about logic and thorough research of a given issue, so don’t waste your time and get started immediately.