Mall Of America Research Paper

One typical shopper may enter a shopping mall with a predetermined idea of what he or she wishes to purchase. Another shopper may pass through the mall to browse the latest styles of clothing. Yet a third shopper may go to the mall simply to enjoy the atmosphere. Each shopper is on a journey of sorts to fulfill their desires, whether that means actually buying something or just looking around for potential future purchases. The mall tries to offer something of interest to every potential shopper. Guterson says that each shopper is like a pilgrim on some kind of mecca. However, what these shoppers may not realize is that by going to todays malls, they are actually missing out on opportunities to build a sense of community. After his experience
During his stay there he pondered the question: How is the Mall of America part of America? The first thing that Guterson notices is the vast, expansive nature of the mall. After having observed some of the shoppers, Guterson concluded that despite the malls expansiveness, it elicited claustrophobia, sensory deprivation, and an unnerving disorientation, (Guterson p. 452). According to Guterson, these feelings lead to a sense of isolation, away from any kind of community that encourages socialization. Guterson believes that the desire to fulfill these communal requirements is intrinsic to human nature and the shopping mall is only a hindrance to this
This combination would be Gutersons ideal shopping experience. Guterson explains that in early human history, places of commerce such as the Persian bazaars and the Greek agoras were home to such experiences. They were places where humanity is temporarily in ascendance, a palette for the senses, (Guterson p. 453). Guterson also points out that these Persian bazaars and Greek agoras adhered to certain values that placed some restrictions on the shopping experiences of their customers. One such example that Guterson provides is that religious people were often told to be time efficient with their shopping in order to prevent any pleasurable attachment to the act of shopping itself—people at the time believed shopping for pleasure could erode their purity of spirit, (Guterson p. 453). Guterson says that the Mall of America, for example, was never built with community needs in mind. With all its social amenities, it was intended to bring together people all kinds of people for the sole purpose of liberating them from their working life while deliberately discouraging socialization. This view is enhanced by the malls general managers words: I believe there is a shopper in all of us, (Guterson p. 453) featured in the promotional video, There is a Place for