Basic Everyday Living Activity of Shopping - Essay Example

Analysis and comparison Making love in supermarkets is an excerpt from the book ‘Theory of shopping’ and analyses onthe basic everyday living activity of shopping. The author, David Miller postulates that the act of shopping can be equated as a means of love making by the shoppers. He claims that the traditional form of shopping has transformed to a more devotional sense where people almost conduct shopping as sacrifice. He argues that the religious values of love and care get manifested through shopping in the modern secular world. Miller rejects the assumption that shopping gets concerned with individuals and materialism. He argues that shopping becomes concerned with other social relations based on those of love and care. In the book, the author tries to deviate from the normal thinking that shopping can be constituted as only a social or anti-social activity. He views shopping as a ritual practice designed to appease others. Miller refutes the idea that shopping is materialistic. He views shopping as a means through which shoppers get to show love and care for their families. In trying to explain this theory, Miller disclaims the idea that the rich in society are more materialistic (Miller 44). He provides an explanation of single mothers who are not financially stable but become concerned when sending their kids to other children birthdays. Such mothers trouble themselves with trying to buy their children gifts of expected standards set by the society. In light of this, Miller tries to show that the not well to do people get more materialistic and thus disputing the idea that shopping is materialistic (Miller 44). The not well to do concern themselves with stuff they can or cannot buy showing their materialistic nature. The author bases his study of shopping on a street in north London where he observes the issues confronting shoppers as they make decisions on what to purchase. He observes behaviors exhibited by households in a north London suburb and analyses the in depth nature of shopping. While the term shopping in the modern secular world may arise as a materialistic activity, Miller places his focus on a less glamorous shopping activity, that of purchasing groceries (Miller 11). In his argument, Miller shows that shopping is not all about pleasure and self fulfillment. He also points out that housewifery should be understood more deeply. He tries to understand the concepts of shopping as a relationship building tool. He analyses shopping through the concepts of treat and thrift. He argues that shoppers look out for a treat while shopping as a reward for the effort spent while shopping. Shoppers also look out for thrifts while shopping in order to obtain promotions or sales specials. According to Miller, the characteristics of an individual can be analyzed through shopping habits. Miller views shopping as an expression of love since the shoppers are catering explicitly to the need and requirements of family members. Not only do shoppers cater for the family members needs but they also aim at improving their lives (Miller 16). For example, Miller shows that while shopping for groceries, shoppers tend to pick healthier foods for the family than the members would have shopped for. According to Miller, this is an act of selflessness and care through which the shoppers get to show compassion for their family members. He compares shopping to a religious sacrifice since according to his view there are many parallels between the two activities. The first comparison of shopping to sacrifice can be viewed as that of excess. He argues that sacrifices and shopping are acts of wasteful expenditure where the participants disperse what is in their excess (Miller 45). When offering sacrifices to the deity, what gets deemed to be excess becomes presented and offered while also when per taking shopping, excess expenditure gets used. The second comparison of shopping to sacrifice, Miller postulates that the transcendence that occurs between the two activities is similar. After shopping, consumers retain what they purchased for themselves while sharing out what they bought for others as a sign of love. In sacrifice, there is sharing too. What gets offered to the deity getss split from what is to remain for human consumption. Finally, Miller compares shopping and sacrifices as activities that try to mend wrong. He views shopping as a way of spending hard earned money for catering towards family needs. This is no different to sacrifice since both involve hard labor. A problem that has no name is a chapter from Betty Friedan’s book called ‘Feminine mystique’ published in 1963. The book resulted out of a survey conducted by Friedan on her former college mates as well as other suburban women. In examining the problem that has no name, Friedan notes of unhappiness and discontent among suburban upper middle class women. The problem that has no name pinpoints to widespread unhappiness among suburban women in the 50’s and early 60s. She identifies a problem that has no name as discontent among these women of their traditional gender roles as housewives (Friedan 12). She notes that these women are craving for more duties outside those implicated by the society on them as; housewives, mothers and homemakers. Friedan blames the media for idealizing the image of a woman as that of just a housewife. According to Friedan, the media has constricted the role of woman in the society. Most women tend to narrow themselves down to living as ‘true women’ as portrayed in the media. The media portrayed true women as wives and mothers. The media idealized that a true woman should not concern herself with careers, higher education or politics but just be beautiful and a housewife (Friedan 32). Friedan postulates that the problem that has no name was a cry of many women who have become disgruntled with their lives as just housewives. In this chapter of the book, Friedan states that it is inevitable to ignore the voice of women desiring more than just their children, husband and homes. Miller and Friedan analyze the roles of women in the family and housewifery. In making love in supermarkets, Miller postulates the role of women in the family as that of provisioning for household commodities such as groceries and shopping (Miller 11). Friedan, on the other hand, studies that women are discontent with the role of being housewives and only associated with house chores. Miller postulates that women reciprocate their love towards other family members through shopping and views this as a crucial role which they play in society. In a problem that has no name, Friedan argues that the media is to blame for painting the idea of a true woman as that of a housewife (Friedan 25). She claims that this view impacts on the society negatively. She argues that women are crying out for more roles in society such as those in politics and pursuing higher educations. Miller views housewifery as a role that requires deeper understanding through its ability to manifest love. Friedan views housewifery as a role that narrows women aspirations since they give up on their education and careers in order to fulfill societal role of being mothers, wives and home makers. Both authors point out the idea that housewifery is a role fulfilled in the family by women. In a problem that has no name, Friedan quips that despite the discontent among women in their role as just being housewives, it does not call for the loss of duty as mothers and wives. In his book, Miller calls for a deeper understanding in the role of housewives in determining family social relations. Miller views that most of the time, the consumers are normally female who see and bear the feeling that it is their social responsibility to be housewives whether she gets paid for her work or not. Women are determined to fulfill this role by making choices which are beneficial to the family members and improve their lives (Miller 32). According to Friedan, women want more roles in the family asides from being mothers and wives. Both authors comment on the issue of materialism. Miller postulates that shopping can no longer be considered as materialistic since it is a base for social relations. He points out the fact that it is through shopping that consumers manifest the qualities of love and care. Shopping was previously assumed to be associated with rich individuals but Miller shows that is not the case anymore. In his discussion, he claims that single mothers from not well to do families trouble themselves with shopping for gifts for their children of expected standards despite financial constraints. In a problem that has no name, Friedan quips the fact that her study found out that suburban women were unhappy despite material wealth and having steady families and obedient children (Friedan 66). This unhappiness is what Friedan refers to as a problem that has no name. It is a yearning among the women to obtain more roles than just being housewives. Her research finds out that most women were still unhappy, yet they possessed material wealth. This meant that their problem did not lie on issues of materialistic nature. Both authors try to provide a philosophical approach in trying to understand everyday life. In the case of Miller, he tries to provide an explanation of social relations based on shopping. Friedan seeks at understanding the cause for unhappiness among women. CONCLUSION Miller tries to provide an understanding of social relations derived from the act of shopping. He explains that shopping has taken on a devotional approach similar to religion in which the acts of love and care are extended. Consumers base their decisions on what to buy for family members on ideals of love and care. He compares shopping to religious sacrifices in trying to understand the phenomenon. Friedan explains the problem that has no name as unhappiness among women resulting from a lack of roles apart from housewifery. For society to exist peacefully, she quips that the voice of discontent among women must be heard. She puts blame on the media for narrowing women to the idea of just being housewives. Works Cited Betty , Friedan. The Feminine Mystique. New York: Norton, 2001. Print Daniel, Miller. A Theory of Shopping. New York: Cornell University Press, 1998. Print Read More