1. Making Love in Supermarkets
From The Theory of Shopping by Daniel Miller
Presented by Deanna Miller

2. Background Information
Daniel Miller
Anthropologist
Most closely related with studies in material culture and materialism
Wrote The Theory of Shopping in 1998
Other publications include Material Cultures and The Dialectics of Shopping
Year long study on how people shopped for everyday things
Took place in London, England
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

3. Types of Shopping Relationships
Couples
Families
Teenagers
Singles
Elderly
Single Mothers
Couples – married and engaged
Married wives sometimes downplayed husband’s shopping abilities (Sheila and Bob)
Engaged couples (shopped for things they were used to and looked at new things, as if viewing newness of relationship
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

4. The Anthropologist Beyond Voyeurism
Two differing viewpoints:
Majorie Devault, Feeding the Family
Bulk of housewife decision making oriented towards others
Inequity and self-sacrifice
Brad Weiss, The Making and Unmaking of the Haya Lived World
Sought to demonstrate moral and cosmological world objectified view in feeding family
Author leaned more towards Weiss (conventional)
DeVault viewed as more radical
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

5. The Treat Seen as a direct reward to shopping
Given to children as a reward for being good while shopping
Candy
Trip to toy store
Fast food
Control of expenditure
Control of Expenditure: husbands do the most spending, worry when wives indulge in treats too often “overspend”
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

6. Thrift By far the most important activity in shopping
Three different types of savers
Three types: supermarket brand, marked down for a limited time and seasonal sales, scanning shelves
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

7. The Exception Mary is a single mother with children
Exhibits a lack of guilt and anxiety
Made as much time and money available for shopping
Does not see herself as thrifty
Shops for love and sex in supermarkets
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

8. The Discourse of Shopping
Does not believe love automatically comes shining through
Whenever Miller asked a person about shopping, the experience of shopping studied is not the one actually done
People always referred to someone else as a shopaholic or a worse shopper
Studying shopping seemed like over the top shopping similar to Mary
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller

9. Discussion Questions
Did you agree with Weiss or DeVault about their interpretations of their study? Why or why not?
Do you think that Miller chose to follow the right anthropological approach? Why or why not?
How do you feel about Sheila and Bob’s concept of borrowing from their son’s fund provided by his grandparents to buy him expensive football uniforms to fit in with his friends?
05-650: BID
Deanna Miller