Publication details
Město pro rodinu: konstrukce rodinného prostoru v nákupním centru
| Title in English | Family-friendly city: the construction of a family space in shopping centres |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2011 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This paper presents an analysis of the concepts of „family shopping“, as presented by the shopping centres in the Czech Republic. Based on the analysis of the marketing of Czech shopping centres, it is argued that a substantial part thereof is focused on the promotion of „family atmosphere“ and „family values“. This paper seeks to understand the function and content of these concepts from a sociological point of view. It is argued that the shopping centres' focus on family is twofold: first, the centres seek to promote a feeling of being welcome for all members of an ideal family, most notably children. Children are considered both a source of new consumption opportunities, as well as a potential hindrance. Second, tied to the concept of „family shopping“ is a set of values which include safety, comfort, cosiness, fun and cleanliness. These values are actively inscribed into the spaces of shopping centres, establishing a family-based urban space, as opposed to the traditional public space of city centres. In creating such space, various means of social control and surveillance are employed. The result is a domesticated space, a privatised space halfway between the public and the private. |
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