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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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