Soc. 118Media, Culture & Society
Chapter 9Scenes From A Mall:
Cultural Consumption and Style in Everyday Life
OVERVIEW The Centrality of Cultural Consumption
The Mall of America
The Triumph of Style in Everyday Life Video: TV Commercial for Target Video: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Landscapes of Cultural Consumption Urban Renaissance
The Staging of Cultural Commerce Disneyfication
Video: The Corporation – A Private Celebration
The Hidden Costs of Cultural Consumption Emotional Labor
In-Class Exercise: Emotion Work in Everyday Life
When Style Conquers Substance
Cultural Consumption and Style in Everyday Life
The centrality of cultural consumption Recent shift in society
The Mall of America
Focus: Style in popular culture Landscapes of consumption
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The Triumph of Style in Everyday Life Elements of style and
design Home décor, clothing,
accessories, etc. Video clip: TV commercial for
Target
Postmodern consumption Proliferation of aesthetics
Communicate through senses• Sensations and reactions
Unprecedented opportunities to express personal style
Massive consumption Style everywhere
Video clip: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Design intensive everyday environments Businesses, corporations
Starbucks as "multisensory aesthetic experience”
Google offices encourage “creative play”
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Landscapes of Cultural Consumption Style in public places
Urban renaissance (1990s) Shifts in city life
• Esp. in former industrial centers
Urban entertainment districts Part of larger urban renewal
Attract global tourism
Total experience Selling unique, “authentic” locales
• Examples: Nashville, South Beach, New Orleans
High-concept, trendy, event destinations• Seen in media and advertising 5
The Staging of Cultural Commerce
Simulated environments Movie-making techniques
Staging, lighting, sound
Disneyfication Branding, chains, themed
entertainment• Restaurants, clubs• Hotels• Shopping malls, stores• Amusement parks
Example:• Video: “The Corporation: A
Private Celebration”
Artificial reality Better than the real thing? 6
The Science of Consumption Engineering shopping
Attract passersby Manage traffic flow
Using the senses See, hear, smell and taste,
touch
Appealing to buyer instincts Impulse buying
Items in the checkout line
Money, money The best price is free? The theory of relativity
Giving cash some credit Spending cash hurts more
Part of the herd Do others know more?
Shopping momentum Can be triggered by one item
Hunters and gatherers Gender differences
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The Hidden Costs of Cultural Consumption Worker exploitation
Workers reflect the brand The Commercialization of Feeling
Arlie Hochschild• Goffman’s “Presentation of Self” (Dramaturgy)
Emotional Labor Additional work to display feeling
• To please customers, clients• To benefit employers
Required in many service jobs• Examples• Who does this work?
Techniques• Sincere and cynical performances
Consequences• Manage boundaries of backstage, front stage• Stress, alienation, burnout
In-Class Exercise: Emotion Work in Everyday Life 9
When Style Conquers Substance Good looks as advantage in society
Studies show higher incomes for taller, better looking
“Looks sell” Example: Book authors
More obsession than ever before Online we lie about or manipulate
physical appearance What are consequences?
Best-looking people in human history Costs? Where is the real self? 10