web community studies, Rachel Davies.

1. Malling of The Land
Web Community Studies
Photo Walk Slide Show
By Rachel Davies

2. The Malls influence on the Metropolitan life
• Stated by Palen as the dominant symbol for the early decades of the twenty-first
century.
• Malls have become America’s town centers and main streets. Malls are retail centers
as well as social centers.
• Palen also describes malls as becoming cities unto themselves. Malls provide a place
for the young and old to gather and socialize.
• Today North America has around 50,000 shopping malls, all are an important part of
suburbia.
• Malls vary in size, some include; movie theatres, restaurants, amusement parks,
concerts, fitness centers, and hotel rooms! They provide many ways to bring a
community together.

3. Why malls and sociology?
• I chose this topic because of the impact our mall has had on my life. When I really
thought about it I realized the Boulevard Mall and Galleria Mall has been a part of
my life since I was a child.
• As a child a weekend trip to the mall was exciting! It was almost like going on a mini
trip with my mom and sisters. It was big, exciting and so many things to do!
• Also as a child you can’t forget going to visit, and get your picture taken with Santa
and the Easter Bunny. Now as an adult, with my own children, it is a tradition to
take the kids to visit Santa at Christmas time, and the Bunny for Easter!
• As a teenager going to the mall after school to meet up with friends, grab something
to eat and hang out. Walking through the mall hoping to see your crush, or meeting
new friends from other schools.
• Many people I know had their first jobs at the mall, or shopped for their outfit for
their first job interview!
• Many seniors and retirees count on the mall for a safe place to go for exercise during
the cold months, socialize, catch a movie, or just people watch.

4. Study Of People
Sociologist Howard Becker, said
that sociology could be best
understood as the study of “people
doing things together”. Humans
are social beings, and what better
example of that then our malls.
To me the mall brings people
together. Either small or big
group interactions, or individual
interactions. The mall is a place
to socialize.
The mall is apart of our lives, and
a part of our social interactions
during childhood all the way to
our senior years.
Class Group 1 Group 2
Clas 1 82
Class 2 76 88
Class 3 84

5. Field Notes- A trip to the Boulevard Mall
The map to the right is
of the location of the
Boulevard Mall in
Amherst NY.
The picture to the left is
A map of the mall and
the stores located inside.
When I walked into the
front entrance this is
what I seen, it showed
me where I was and how
to get to the store of my
choice.

6. I went to the Boulevard Mall the last
week of November. This time of year the
mall is very festive! For me the mall is
part of the holidays. Black Friday
shopping, Santa, Christmas decorations,
the big Christmas tree, even the smell of
sample perfume and the candle store. The
whole experience is part of many families
holiday tradition this time of year.

7. Traditions at the Mall
Christmas time at the mall is a special time.
Many families bring their children to have
them take a picture with Santa, just as our
parents did when we were children.
Taking the family to the Mall for
Christmas to see Santa, go Christmas
shopping, but also for the experience.
The Mall seems magical this time of year
and we want to share this experience
with our children and grand children.
The picture above, Santa taking pictures with children
At the Blvd Mall.
The picture above is of my younger sister, taken 20
years ago at the same mall.

8. Socializing and Events
The mall is like our modern day “city
center”. We go to the mall to socialize,
and for events. The bottom picture I
took on my photo walk. In the middle
of the mall is an area where kids can
gather and play. The top left picture
was taken this past October, the mall
has a day when kids can come in and
go trick or treating store to store.
They have a really big turn out,
families from all over WNY come. The
top right picture was an event the
mall had, a meet and greet with the
children’s Shopkins characters. We got
to meet and socialize with new people.
The mall really gives us a sense of
community, a safe place to gather and
have fun with the family

9. New Traditions
While walking through the mall I
seen Kay Jewelers. I thought how many
men have came to this store nervous,
excited, happy, and in love. Ready to
pick out that special ring for their
future wife. The mall brings us together
in all different ways. People come to the
mall for special and important
occasions.
The huge flag displayed at the
Galleria Mall pictured in the left
automatically gave me the feeling of
pride and community. The ‘Carpe Diem’
sign pictured at the bottom truly gives
you the feeling to seize the day, and
anything you need to do that you can
get from the mall!

10. Hanging out at the
mall peaks between
ages 12-15. Hanging
out at the mall
maybe a
developmental
necessity, especially
for kids who are not
involved in youth
centers or other
places kids their age
can interact.
I wanted to know more about people how the mall
might bring people together, or people having their
special moments at the mall. I found a few.
Chapel Of Love – Located in the Mall Of America
over 7,500 couples have renewed or exchanged vows
here!
https://www.mallofamerica.com/shopping/directory/ch
apel-of-love-wedding-chapel
I also found an article about different test done on
shoppers that found that the mall attracts
consumers, because it is a magnet for social behavior.
In others words people chose the mall because they
want social interaction.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01023038
Outside Sources
https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/tween-
and-teen/hanging-out-at-the-mall/

11. CONCLUSION
After reading THE URBAN WORLD, by John Palen, I got a better understanding on
how where we live and how our cities and suburbs have an effect on our socialization
and development. I learned how important our early cities were, because they
encouraged change, diversity, innovations and growth. I was so intrigued by the idea of
an exciting city center. A place that everyone would go to on the weekends, wearing
their best clothes, to shop, eat, go to the theatres, and socialize. Without socialization
America wouldn’t be the country it is today. I wanted to be apart of that. However our
down town today is a little different. I found the new and next best thing, the mall! The
mall is our modern day “Greek agoras ”.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
The picture on the right is of
people coming together in the
city center of Buffalo, early
1900’s.
The picture on the left is of
people gathering together at
the Boulevard Mall. Many
years apart and very
different, however the need to
socialize is still part of our
culture.

12. WORK CITED
J. John Palen, THE URBAN WORLD. New York 2015, 2012 by Oxford University
Press.
Pitman, Theresa “Hanging out at the Mall.” Today’s Parent. Rogers Digital Media
Publishing, lifestyle, July 9, 2003 Web. 1995-2017
Sefton, Emily “Chapel Of Love.” Mall Of America, MOAC Mall Holdings LLC 2017
Feinberg, R.A., Sheffler, B., Meoli, J. et al. J Bus Psychol (1989) 4: 49.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01023038