Non luoghi e centri commerciali: donne consumatrici critiche (?) [Non-places and malls: women as critical consumers (?)]

Abstract

Aim of the present essay is to analyze how the critical theory about consumerism and non-place in liquid societies can be seen also in a different way. The case of malls and iper shopping center – mainly addressed to women and young people – opens the possibility of different uses: in the female case the fact of being pressed in doing more things together, combined with the youth multitasking ability and multimedia awareness, create relation opportunities meanwhile doing shopping. In this perspective a fruition of shopping centers can emerge, disconnected from their being non-places of the liquid society, but oriented to a fruition that enhances the generating capacity of new relations, as well as some more critical and conscious consumption methods.

Keywords

• consumerism
• gender studies
• sociology
• non-place
• non-places
• malls
• liquid society
• women
• women studies
• relation
• shopping