Love, how many of us have experienced it? It’s what we find ourselves mostly seeking, and most times avoiding. But what does it really and truly mean? And how can we implement this within pedagogy? All of these questions, I can assure you I do not have a definite answer for, that is for sure. However, let’s explore together.
It’s the second group tutorial session, we’ve been tasked to pick two texts on the theme of Love, Care, and Belonging, and to make comparisons and relate them to our teaching practices/contexts. I, myself, opted for a short article on Ethics of Care (2019) by Dr. Laura D’Olimpio and All About Love (2000; 2018) by author & professor, bell hooks. Both texts were equally fascinating, with similar and different outtakes.
Most men feel that they receive love and therefore know what it’s like to be loved.
bell hooks (2000; 2018: 20).
Within D’Olimpio’s article, her advocation for the works of feminist care ethics and theorists, Carol Gilligan and Nel Noddings, is shown as she expresses her argument that care isn’t a feminine belonging, though she acknowledges that it is a trait intrinsically connected to women. Similarly, she highlights that most, if not all, empathetic professions (e.g. nurse, counsellor, care worker etc) within society are associated with the female gender; a stereotype which is argued to be a form of social construct “and therefore the result of nurture” (D’Olimpio, 2019).
Taking Ethics of Care into account and cross-comparing it to hook’s All About Love, one can see the stark similarity, but most alarmingly, the relevance of both texts (irrespective of different publication time and era), within our current society. In her book, which is fundamentally a guide on love and how to love, from the intro, bell hooks immediately discusses the patriarch and matriarch association to love; how society (mostly men) have presented men as the experts on love; hooks arguing that most men do not know what love truly is, yet they present themselves as the pinnacle educators of love – from literature to philosophy.
Overall, D’Olimpio (2019) & hooks (2000; 2018) both touch on societal perspectives on women’s roles, particularly in relation to themes such as care and love. D’Olimpio, essentially, talks about how we all have a duty of care especially from a moral obligation and our practice of ethics. Comparably, hooks talks about our universal ability to love and how love isn’t intrinsically better understood by women, though men present themselves to know it better, even though they associate the “weakness” of love to women (All About Love, 2000: 26).
Men theorise about love, but women are more often love’s practitioners.
bell hooks (2000; 2018: 20)
Love is the most wonderful gift a living thing can ever receive. This is the clear and absolute truth, though not one without contest and opposing views. Love and the act of loving, in essence, is our mere purpose on this earth and in life. Looking at it fundamentally, we were both in love and to love. In the preface of All About Love, hooks’ (through her personal account), highlights that life in itself is worthless and void of living, if one does not know what love is. Personally, love is what has gotten me so far in life, but it has also brought me a glacier of pain and sorrow.
Ultimately, without love we cannot care. And without care, we are without love.
Relating this to my teaching context and pedagogy, I think both the discussed themes are vastly important and essential in not just educating, but educating the right way and in the most positive and affective and effective manner. As an educator and a human, one must hold a major responsibility of care, in its most omni and circular level, with love and care always being associated. You cannot truly do your job right if love and care is not immersed in one’s teaching context and practices.
Conclusively, I rather enjoyed both readings and the tutorial. It was fascinating and enlightening to see the text choices my peers went for, and to hear their various views. Without surprise, there were some opposing views and reception to hooks’ text; some dignifying it as outdated and perhaps out of touch, whereas others interpreting All About Love in the most unbiased manner, which, personally, is the way I think you can really and truly digest, analyse, and interpret hooks’ points and message.
Love is not gender, race, age, or class related. Love and care is a universal trait and thus a general duty, no matter how one identify themselves. And this must be brought into the pedagogical playground.
That’s all for now.
With warmth, love & light,
T.
References & Citations
D’Olimpio, L 2019, Ethics Explainer: Ethics of Care. Available at: <https://ethics.org.au/ethics-explainer-ethics-of-care/? [accessed 20 February 2021]
hooks, b 2000; 2018. All about Love: New Visions. New York: Harper Perennial.
This is such a great post, thanks so much. You have not only considered the material in detail; and with great depth, you bring a deep understanding in your editing and quotations and presentation, that is very impactful to read. Very much enjoyed your selection here.