Retail Shopping, Economics, and
Culture
Culture comes in
many variations and is a major part of what makes the human species unique.
Other species may have behaviors that are similar to culture but only humans
have true culture. But what is culture? Culture, according to Emily Schultz and
Robert Lavenda, is a “set of learned behaviors and ideas that human beings acquire
as members of society…. To adapt to and transform the world in which we live”
(Park, 2009, 64). For something to be considered culture it needs to have certain
characteristics. First, culture must be learned. Secondly, culture must involve,
“concepts, generalizations, abstractions, assumptions, and ideas” (Park, 2009, 66).
Third, culture must consist of active learning – involving the communication of
ideas from one person to another using either written or spoken words. Lastly,
there must be man-made objects made for intended purposes, either concrete or
abstract, called artifacts (Park, 2009). While some other organisms display
varying levels of culture or culture-like behaviors, these are rare and far
from normal. Human lives, however, consist entirely of cultural behaviors.
Humans rely on a complex culture for everything that they do in their lives –
without culture, humans would not have been likely to evolve and thrive into
what they are now.
Culture is an important
part of anthropology and cultural anthropology is one of the four main
sub-fields in the field of anthropology. Culture is an adaptive mechanism that
allows for a society to change along with its natural and cultural environment so
that it can survive. Through the study
of a society’s culture, anthropologists can learn many things about that
society. Culture can be seen by observing everyday scenes of human life, such
as shopping, working, eating, and other daily activities. Shopping is a large
part of the modern culture of America and is an example of many anthropological
concepts. Purchasing goods plays a substantial part in our economy as well as being
a social ritual within our society.
For this
observational practice, I chose to observe shoppers in our local big-box store
on that busiest of shopping days, known commonly as “Black Friday”. The specific
location is typical of the big-box chain stores architecturally, with an
outside that consists of stone blocks painted a neutral color and a large,
rectangular appearance. The parking lot is large and brightly lit, packed with
cars and with metal barriers set up specifically for this night to protect
shoppers. Near the door, customers are greeted by a bell-ringer from the
Salvation Army. Inside, the store is also typical of these types of stores,
with cement floors, exposed ceiling, and brightly lit with fluorescent lights. The
only furniture consists of gray metal benches placed by the entrances and
sporadically around the store. The sounds inside the store consist mainly of
the sound of voices, rising in volume from general conversation near the
entrance doors to a quiet, constant roar the farther into the store that the
customers go.
The customers
shopping in the store are of all ages, although the majority are probably in
their twenties to mid-forties based upon appearance. There are people of
different races but the majority of them are Caucasian. Gender-wise, the
distribution is about equal for men and women. The shoppers are generally
lower-class, with some lower middle-class – people most in need of the deep
discounts offered on this sale day.
There is an excited,
energized feeling among most of the customers, as well as a somewhat anxious
undertone. These feelings increase as it gets closer to 8 p.m., the start of
the sale. The closer it gets to sale time, the more wired people become,
ripping into plastic wrap and packages, often violently and without regards to
the safety of those around them because they are so focused on getting what
they want. Merchandise is tossed in the air, towels fly, and people grab for
items, sometimes arguing with other shoppers. People in queue lines behave with
less anxiety because they already have a ticket guaranteeing their items. The
people rush around with a determined looks, searching for items that they need.
Some display frustration at other shoppers that are in their way or store
associates that do not have the answers they want. Once in the lines, the
people become less anxious and excitable and usually stand calmly, talking with
their fellow shoppers as they wait in lines that stretch back through half the
store.
The behavior of
the shoppers develops along the same pattern: they enter the store determined
and eager but calm then they became more anxious, frustrated, and impatient as
the time progresses until the event. Once the shopping has begun, most people
only look out for their own needs, pushing through the crowds with what
resembles mindless determination. Some people when in this situation seem to
regress and resort to their more animal-like instincts. Once through the
registers these same people go back to normal behaviors, unaware that many of
their activities are a small part in our cultural systems.
The people that
are standing in a line to purchase gifts for others are practicing forms of reciprocity.
There are different types of reciprocity involved in this situation. One is
generalized reciprocity. In generalized reciprocity, people give to others with
no expectations of an exchange (O’Neil, 2008). Many people are purchasing these
items as gifts for the upcoming holidays. Some are buying gifts for children,
gifts for donation, and giving money to the Salvation Army and expect nothing
as compensation – this would be generalized reciprocity. However, others are purchasing
gifts with the expectations of receiving gifts that are of similar value – this
is balanced reciprocity. Balanced reciprocity is an exchange of either goods or
services with another entity with the belief in immediate or future
compensation (Park, 2009). The very act of purchasing these gifts from the
retailer is also a form of balanced reciprocity.
In retail, the
exchange of goods for money is a form of balanced reciprocity referred to as a market
system. The market system is similar to balanced reciprocity, but there is a
profit for the supplier of the goods and a symbol is used as goods on one side
(Park, 2009). As customers purchase these needed or wanted items, they are
exchanging the goods for symbolic goods, represented with money. Both the
customers and the store receive the items they want but the supplier, the
store, makes a profit during this exchange.
Redistribution
is a smaller part of this event. Redistribution is the collection of a surplus,
goods or money, and their distribution to those without (Park, 2009). Money
from the purchases of such goods involves taxes, which are used to provide
services to others that cannot afford them. Also, some of the profit raised by
the stores goes towards the store’s contributions to charity. The money
collected by the Salvation Army bell-ringers could also be considered a surplus
that is going to those that have less.
Shopping
and gift giving are social rituals. A
social ritual is a habitual activity that provides structure and affirms the
identity of those that take part in them ("Social practices,
rituals," 2012)
Many
items purchased on this day will be given as gifts. Gift giving is another
social ritual that the people out shopping are participating in. In Social
Practices, Rituals and Festive Events (2012) it is
said that the “practices of
giving and receiving gifts may range from casual events to formal arrangements
with significant political, economic or social meanings.” Although not
completing the whole process of gift giving, they are participating in the
first step of acquiring the necessary gifts. Gift giving to others affirms
social ties and is part of a ritual that relies on reciprocations from others.
People giving gifts often feel obligated to give them out to certain people and
in return, those people feel obligated to return the favor with gifts in return.
While watching the
customers and associates dealing with the busy event, it was interesting to
apply recently acquired knowledge about anthropology and culture to the actions
that were happening. While I have never been on the shopping side, only the
working side of the event, I have never taken the time to just observe the behaviors
of people on Black Friday and learned interesting things about how the event
changes people from the point they walk in the door through to the end when
they arrive back at the registers to leave. Observing people as they changed
from calm, rational but excited shoppers into an anxious, rude, and careless
mob brought new insights into how people behave in large crowds and in the
pursuit of things that they want. I found the overall experience very thought-provoking,
insightful, and educational.
References
O'Neil,
D. (2008, March 14). Economic systems. Retrieved from
http://anthro.palomar.edu/economy/default.htm
Park,
M. A. (2008). Introducing anthropology: An integrated approach. (4 ed.).
New York: McGraw-Hill
Social
practices, rituals and festive events. (2012).
Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=55
No comments:
Post a Comment