Love as a construct that is historically, politically, economically and socially determined raises interesting questions about the possibilities of what love can be and is capable of being. And by love I mean 'romantic' entailing some level of sexual intimacy but also 'sisterly/familial' love. Are the narrow definitions attributed in the mass media and reinforced in our collective imagination really what love is about? Is love merely something that happens between two people of the same or opposite gender that is followed by a state sanctioning ceremony and then children followed by death (not necessarily in that order). What purpose does love serve in orienting us towards a particular socioeconomic order and conforming to the marketing whims and preferences of commercial interests and if so how 'real' is this love and to what degree is this love reified to serve these whims and interests? Is love really as hegemonically produced and consumed by the masses or is there hope for creating alternative visions of loving relationships than can span across these narrowly defined categories escaping state sanctioning? Is a multiplicity of options accessible and achievable? What constitutes love today?
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1. a person or thing that lies outside. 2. a part of a formation left detached through the removal of surrounding parts by erosion.
