A Place Of Your Own Essay, Research Paper
Reading chapter 36 of The Malling of America, by William Kowinski, I see a man who does not like how America is progressing in time. He believes that we are heading towards a time when everyone will be preprogrammed to be hard-core consumers and the world is going to be dominated by money. In chapter 36 of his book, he explicitly blames the mall as being the cause and proponent of this change. I agree with Mr. Kowinski’s ideas of the changing world, but I do not agree that the shopping malls are to blame for the changes. The malls purpose is to produce a profit for the investors. If shopping centers were not profitable then it would not be there. Unlike Kowinski’s views of the mall, I see a place where people, especially young adults, congregate in a safe environment.
The mall offers working opportunity to young adults. Opportunities where someone with no experience and qualifications can work. I believe it can be quite hard for a young adult to obtain a job where there are many responsibilities and the requirements are experience and knowledge. I disagree with Kowinski’s that the benefits of a job in the mall are overrated. With a job at the mall, young adults learn to set goals. Even thought these goals might be little goals, but the little goals also have many lessons that shape members of our society. Kowinski writes about a young girl who works at an establishment in the food court of some mall. Kowinski underestimates the influence of the perfect curl on top of the ice-cream cones. The girl learns to take pride in what she does. Not the pride in a perfect curl but pride in the fact that she has accomplished a goal that has thought here perfection, alertness. And some of these lessons might help her in the future. The mall also provides job for young adults who need the paycheck for living and/or education.
A study by the International Council of Shopping Centers found that there are many teenagers in shopping malls and the mall is a place where teenagers like to go. The International Council encouraged the teenage presence because ‘the vast majority support the same set of values as does shopping center management.’ Yes. Teenagers send money. Some a lot and some spend nothing. But the majority sends at the mall. This is good business. The mall provides goods and services in a safe and convenient environment. One cannot blame the shopping centers for the marketing that are used to sell products. If I was an investor in a company and the company main business was selling a product in the mall I would happily use slogan such as homemade to products.
I agree with Kowinski and David Elkin about the concerns of “hurried child”. I am also concerned about the social pressure to look like an adult at such a young age. I agree that the form-fitting designer jeans, sexy tops are not helping relieve that pressure. But this blame cannot be put on the mall. The mall is a place of business. It is not national reserve or a city park. The mall is there to make a profit for its investors. I do not believe that the mall can be held responsible for the marketing practices of its tenants.
I do not agree with Kowinski’s views of the shopping malls. Times are changing. We are not the nomads that we one were. Society has a certain sense of security of food water and shelter that allows us to challenge our selves in other ways. There are choices to go other places. But not every one can afford other forms of entertainment. Until everyone can afford to send their kids to after school programs, music instructions or other costly programs, the mall is not bad.