Analysis: Shopping For American Culture

"Malls affect people. They're designed to."
- William Kowinski

I could not help but to think that the purpose of a shopping mall was for everyone to have one convenient place to buy anything they desired. But, the viewpoints expressed though "Community through Exclusion and Illusion" by George Lewis and "Shopping for American Culture," by James J. Farrell, have led me to believe that the shopping mall also serves as a community center. Another article which captured my attention was Ira Zepp's, "The Shopping Mall as Sacred Place." They each express their ideas of how the shopping mall is not just a place to shop due to it's constantly availability, which has created an ideal environment for social interaction for people of all ages. Farrell
Although, this is the only part of his essay with actual number facts, his remaining opinions are interesting as well. Farrell states, "Currently, America's shopping centers (most of which are malls) generate more than a trillion dollars in annual sales…more than half on the nation's retail activity." Just the though of one trillion of anything is an overwhelming amount to think of, especially in reference to how much money is actually spent at the mall per year. The other numbers, such as millions of people being employed and billions of square feet of leasable space add to the extent of what malls are becoming and continue to intrigue the reader. Lewis also states facts, but that of which he has gained through interviews with people who are often at the mall. Farrell used his factual numbers as a way to capture our attention so we would pay attention to his ideas; while Lewis used his factual information as the focal point of his essay. Ira Zepp uses his facts by referring to Eliade and Wheatley, as well as referring to architectural designs. He notes figure 10.3, which says "Park City, Lancaster PA. This mall reflects the many circles of a rose window, the quadrilateral design of a mandala, and the floor plan of a typical cathedral or basilica. The center of this mall in inescapable." With a picture right infront of you, it's
In "Shopping for American Culture," Farrell says that "…malls help teach us the common sense of culture. If we look closely at malls we will soon be looking inside our own heads." What he means by this is that the mall is slowly taking on the ideas and ways of thinking that our society has today, which in reality, is what we think of culture. Lewis also supports the same idea when he says, "…within the impersonal and concrete structure of the mall, cultural chains of belonging seen to have been forged." He talks about "chains of belonging," because he is referring to the elderly and teens who have found a place where they can feel a sense of unity. Lewis also refers to Jesse Bernard's definition of "community," which is in essence common ties and interaction between groups of people. Many people may construe what exactly Ira Zepp is trying to say within his essay. "As humans we have a profound need to repudiate, if not escape, the disorder and brokenness of life, and establish islands of stability as a counterpoint to chaos. The creation of a center is usually the way people resist disorder." He is not saying that the mall serves as a religious place, taking place of churches and religious centers; but he's rather saying that there is community and order in the mall, just as there are in worship