Discussion

No Work Cited Necessary

Using details or examples from the assigned readings this week (Tannen, Brooks, Madrigal, Cisneros, etc.) discuss what patterns emerge in personal and/or romantic relationships.

Do such patterns change our notion of love over the years? If so, how or why?

Is something as seemingly timeless as love also subject to the defining forces that remake so much of our political, ideological, and cultural landscapes? That is, can technological shifts or so-called “improvements” change our definition of love or what we expect of ‘love’ and/or our ‘beloveds’? Or does ‘talking’ or ‘not talking,’ as Deborah Tannen shows, also define what we call love or a loving relationship? If so, how much will education or communication skills play into the value or longevity of a love relationship?

Do you think there is something “measurable” (like an algorithm) in the relationships that “last” versus those that are fleeting or tenuous? What does the data show?