(JBC) Chapter 5: Shopping/Social Order

Shopping has recently, in the last couple decades, taken a social standing in the power structure. Shopping has been molded into an enterprise for benefit of the capitalistic point of view. When it first became a popular past time, many of the products that were put into the shopping spectrum were directed for women. Women became an easily controlled manipulation for shopping stores. Not only did shopping take lead in many people lives, it also grew into a business in which cut off and killed many already standing businesses. While most people discovered how good shopping made them feel, big stores continued to grow and general stores began to close business. The creation of big stores gave people access of all economic background to be able to purchase the same products as everyone else. Nevertheless, society came up with a new power structure to divide the poor from the wealthy. New high-end stores began to rise, typically with higher prices and directed to those with more money. While many people couldn’t bring themselves to buy the pricey goods, many others fell into the stigma of having to have the latest and fashion end thing that came out. The process of shopping could have gone from a relaxing trip to the stores to walk around and see what’s new, to the pressure of having to fit in with society. Stores that have risen in the power and popularity dynamic are the ones that are most in demand because that’s what society tells them they have to buy. If they can scrape enough money to buy the latest designer clothes, then they fit into society and aren’t seen as poor. Shopping has not only taken the distribution of goods to a different level, but it has brought stigma to the want and need people feel for what is new and popular.