When sociologists think of the postmodern society, shopping malls are most likely the first thing to come to mind. It can be easily argued that "shopping malls are the cathedrals of postmodern society" Times have changed since Marx argued that who you are is what you do or since Durkheim argued that who you are depends on your religion. Nowadays, who you are is what you buy. People all over go to shopping malls to make their lives easier than past generations. They go to these malls to buy products that increase their status in society or increase their leisure or increase their ease of living. Also in the postmodern society, people tend to want to be different and look different. So, where else would one go but to a shopping mall where he will find a greater number of choices of whatever product he desires. This is where people go to shop for their "identity makeovers".
One of the major characteristics of today's society is that the postmodern self needs to be transportable. People represent themselves by things that they can carry with them all the time. For example, clothing is a major way of representing one's self in postmodern society. One can express his views and beliefs just by dressing in a certain style of clothing. And of course, the mall is the place to go to get these transportable, representational items. Shopping malls have not become the "cathedral of postmodern society" only for their products. They also serve as a keen place to socialize. People both young and old go to malls to meet with friends or to even meet new people. Very rarely is it possible to find someone at a mall only to shop for what he/she wants and then leave.
With the need to socialize, make life easier, make one's self representative through transportable objects, and to shop for "identity makeovers", it is plain to see why "shopping malls are the cathedrals of postmodern society.".
Of the categories in Table 4.
