Project Space: Homework Two – The Mall, Hegemony, and Ideology

    Working class people have habitually accepted the ideological view of the world presented over and over to them by the ruling class, because they aren’t aware of the phenomenon. It's sad to think that the world suffers from this kind of homogeneous Mall Syndrome, where peoples’ desires are exploited and marketed for profit, and accepted because of unawareness. The capitalist class maintains power over the working class by using hidden methods and tactics, which ultimately, makes the working class unaware and “blind” of what’s occurring behind the scenes.

    This in chorus, conveys how we as a society are unaware consumers, causing us to unknowingly accept the ideology of owners dominating over the working class, and the hegemonic control it creates. Antonio Gramsci, notorious for his exposure of the concept of hegemony, described it as one group ruling over the other with the consensus of the controlled group (Lears NP). As I understand Gramsci, capitalists are able to rule because they make the system seem natural, constant, and predictable; all while it so steadily reproduces itself. Ultimately, because the capitalist economic system requires expanding consumption to survive, a culture is created where a group of intellectuals, assist the capitalist with the perpetuation of maintaining the working classes’ behavior. In the context of a shopping mall, the intellectuals are the people designing and developing the lucrative schemes of control, one example, could be the individuals who create music playlists for Abercrombie & Fitch. Essentially, they have developed naturally together with the ruling class and toil for the benefit of the ruling class. They can also take the form of store managers, teachers and professors, lawyers, etc. Conclusively, the intellectuals help bind the effects of hegemony together and help it function, while keeping the working class oblivious.

    Capitalists have hegemony because working class people are unaware of it. One must only look at any mall to see the ideology of hegemonic control in action, in which the capitalist and intellectuals collaborate. For instance, The Mall’s economy has, for the most part, prospered as its citizens buy more and more things, so it’s vital to keep citizens there as long as possible. In order to do this, the capitalist create a territory that explores the desires of individuals and their establishments. For instance, if I went to The Mall to buy a pair of shoes, but then wanted to leave because I was hungry or perhaps thirsty, the Mall’s food court would be there to the rescue, purposely tricking me into spending more money and alienating me to stay longer. In this sense, shopping malls could feel alienating, because shoppers are tossed into a space occupied with numerous stores, which are trying to get them to buy their products, and it’s quite difficult to silence desire, and the capitalists know that.

    Another example of how capitalists and intellectuals perpetuate the function of hegemony through the shopping mall is the deliberate placement of particular stores. For instance, purposely placing the big named stores, such as Macy’s or Sears, in the front of The Mall to capture and reel people in without difficulty. It’s sort of like writing a story, you start of with a hook (larger company stores out in front), and then you move on to the body paragraphs (smaller stores and food court in the middle) and ultimately end with a conclusion (virtually a complete round trip around the Mall’s establishments). This scheme is fundamentally articulated through the idea of consumption. If I like one store, why not stay in The Mall longer and go into another store? This is what the ruling class is after, the placement of institutes where the working class will continue spending, which is completely reflected in The Mall.

        Whatever motivates a person to visit the Mall, whether it’s the company of others or shopping opportunities, people should be aware of the unconstructive services the Mall offers. For instance, if someone decides to express love for a person by finding them the perfect gift, whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or Valentine’s Day – the idea of “Oh, I can buy a gift at the Mall,” will perhaps, most definitely, come to mind. When this occurs, the gift shopper ends up going to the Mall and buying a gift not only for their friend or family member but also for him or herself, because they perhaps got a great deal. From personal experience, my family members run to stores (not literally), when someone they know gets a great deal, whether it’s a clearance item or not. Its purposely set up, its not a mistake. Contrary to that, I know people go to the Mall out of convenience. My point is that people, just need to be more aware of their surroundings and the premeditated strategies of the shopping centers they’re visiting.

        In the end, the whole world suffers from the homogeneous Mall Syndrome, because of owners and intellectuals who intentionally perpetuate the desires of the dominant group. Working class people habitually accept the ideological view of the world presented over and over to them by the ruling class, which ultimately allows hegemony to perpetuate. The dominant group, general citizens, need to be aware of hegemony and it’s power. That said, it is hard to turn hegemony on its head, but that’s doesn’t mean we have to accept it and its alienation, because if we do, the cycle will just regenerate, and create a hostile environment.

Works Cited

Mastroiann, Dominic. "Hegemony in Antonio Gramsci." English.emory.edu. Emory University,     Fall 2002. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/hegemony.html>.

Williams, Raymond. Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Revised Edition. New     York: Oxford UP, 1985. 144-145. Print.

Lears, T.J. Jackson. “The Concept of Cultural Hegemony: Problems and Possibilites.” The     American Historical Review. Vol. 90, No. 3 (Jun 1985). 567-593. JSTOR. Web. 29 Feb     2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1860957>.