Chronotopes: Forms of Time in Rhetorical Argument

Abstract

While participatory approaches to biotechnology policy have gained ground among government and non-profit agencies, few studies examine how such approaches function rhetorically in practice. In this study, I examine transcripts from participatory, deliberative meetings hosted by the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Council over policies related to genetically modified foods. I argue that dominant frameworks for understanding biotechnology - space-time compression and substantial equivalence - overshadow alternative understandings based on the precautionary principle or life cycles. Each of these framework entails fundamental assumptions about space and time, assumptions that overlap with ideological commitments to sustainability or profit.

Keywords: biotechnology, time, space, rhetoric, rhetorical theory, Canada, chronotope