On Yearning, Love, and Community: Consequences of Casual Speech

As the number of students pursuing asynchronous education and learning experiences in online platforms and forums continues to grow, it is increasingly important to pause and reflect on the nature of language commonly—and often reflexively—used in these online spaces. Because online, asynchronous classroom discussion forums constitute the environment in which many of my “everyday conversations” occur (as well as those of the millions of students taking online courses), my thoughts turn often to implications and opportunities in these virtual spaces. Feminist scholars, including bell hooks, offer numerous ways and opportunities to do so. In this article, meaning and interpretation associated with the word “love” as both a concept and a vocabulary term are explored from a variety of perspectives and lenses. In particular, this article explores the role and impact of casual speech and related terminology, including “love”—both figuratively and literally—in online asynchronous classrooms.