Free Essay Example: Public Shopping Mall

A Mall is a strategic public place to make a good social observation of various groups and classes of people. In regards to social stratification, the Mall is a public place to encounter more women than men, more classy and high-class grouping than most social situations. One of the most important attributes one gets upon entering a high-end mall is the personal space between the shoppers, much respect for others. Shoppers talk in near official tone but are characterized with a lot of intimate connection and relation, especially among family members who had along with their kids. Single and dating couples were easy to spot due to their close intimacy. Those who come in groups have a distinctive way of communication that allows them time to reconnect. They hug and express their feelings in a relaxed but stylish way. The majority of the shoppers were in groups of threes.' Parents had no more than two kids majority aged below seven years. The people were unique in their attributes and kept to themselves as they went about their affairs. From my observation, I noted that the shoppers were wealthy from their dressing, status, and how they went about collecting shopping items. American society is systematically organized in ranks in which the wealthy have a specific preference for high-end places, products, and lifestyles.

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The Galleria Mall is located southwest of the intersection between Minnesota Rive and the State Highway. Though it is not the largest in the state, it comprises of the best and most sought-after goods and services from around the world. It consists of several stores and vendors in addition to numerous coffee houses with Starbucks being the most favored by customers. The Mall is most famous for its Sea Life Aquarium that is preferred by fun-goers. From the entrance to the inner stores, the building boasts of the latest architectural technology with beautiful lighting fixtures and automated devices for security purposes. All the stores have a heating system that helps in keeping the building at a suitable temperature. As the multitude of people throngs the coffee shops, jewelry stores, restaurants, bars, and retail venues, one thing is outstanding; they have a sharp taste for a good life. It is not about the excitement on their faces, but a unique blend of satisfaction and gratitude in their mannerism. They have confidence in their movement, assurance in their walks, engagement, and closeness. Personal space is significant as they easily give way for others with acknowledgment and appreciation.

Norms and guidelines help outline acceptable behavior in society. There are formal and informal norms in every culture. According to Agoben (2017) numerous rules are unwritten, but society has appreciation and recognition of ethical practice in public places. Most queues are well organized, customers patiently waiting for their turn to be served. People readily give way to others, walking a reasonable distance from others not to knock or even touch each other in most departmental stores, women comprised of the most significant number who had large shopping baskets. Men took their time in electronic shops, gun stores, and assorted merchandise. Women spent much of their time engaged in small talk with their kids, making a different selection of items. People were from diverse ethnic groupings and races. However, the majority were whites with a few African Americans and Indians between the age brackets of 30 to 80 years. I was able to spot a few Chinese and people of Arab descent, especially in the coffee shops. Children were as young as a few months old in baby trolleys. They talked in low calculated tones, keeping close eye contact but comfortable and easy with their environment. They were mindful of others and talked in measured and low tone not to inconvenience others. From their dressing to casual talk, it was evident that they are from wealthy backgrounds. In a group of more than five in the coffee shops, one would mistake the shoppers to be engaged in a serious business meeting. The shop attendees, bartenders, security, and shop owners took their time in serving the customers. DeLamater, Collett, and Myers (2014) posited that according to symbolic integrationist perspective, human behavior is influenced by meanings and definitions maintained and developed by others.

To a great extent, the shop owners, bartenders, security, and personnel in the Mall picked much of their social behavior from the customers; stylish and sophisticated. However, they all work together for the common good of providing excellent service to the clients. Functionalist perspective articulates that the society is made up of various parts all working towards a common purpose (DeLamater et al., 2014). From the security personnel to the shop owner, all the employees and business owners in the Mall professionally worked towards ensuring that their clients and visitors got the best service and products. Children were well behaved, clutching firmly to their parents and making inquiries about products on display or those they showed interest.

DeLamater et al., (2014) maintained that gender plays a significant role in society, especially in setting boundaries as expected in the community. Most stores, barber shops, salons, and hypermarkets used women adverts to promote their services and goods. Only in one massage parlor had an advert featuring a gay couple. The two minutes I used along the corridor revealed that men majorly frequented it with only a few women making inquiries on what was advertised as "personalized message." The overemphasis on beauty products seems to help the business have a large stream of customers. I understood why the Mall had more female than male clients. As I made my way out, I realized that the parking lot was full of high-end vehicles that ranged from Mercedes Benz, Bugatti Chiron, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. The United States is uniquely grouped in classes and grouping. Agoben (2017) maintained that social class entails a diverse gathering of individuals sorted differently by education, income, cultural values, and income level. From my observation, the Galleria Mall is a representation of the stratified arrangement of American Society.

At the end of my short social mingling in the Mall, I felt completely out of place and uncomfortable considering the stylish and sophisticated environment and people who I observed. However, I felt the urge to get down and understand how the shoppers go about their affairs with so much decorum and assurance. Their confidence was influential and could be felt all over the place. Sincerely, I rarely frequent high-end shopping Malls and my first encounter experience in Galleria Mall left me admiring the unique way by which the wealthy minded their business with great care and confidence.

References

Agoben, T. T. (2017). Unearthing the Reasons Behind Human Behaviour in Society: A Reappraisal of the Theories in Sociological Behaviourism. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3142068

DeLamater, J. D., Collett, J. L., & Myers, D. J. (2014). Social Psychology (Vol. 8th ed). New York: http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=nlebk&AN=828243&site=ehost-live&scope=