The Mall Has Eyes

THE MALL HAS EYES

For our Sociology experiment, I decided to go to a mall in my city. I figured that this would give me the best diversity to witness structural-functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and social conflict. I love to people watch as well so this is right up my alley. I love to witness how people interact with each other, I love watching people when they don’t realize they are being observed. You can actually catch someone in their natural habitat. I like to say a person’s “true colors” start to show when they do not realize that someone is paying attention to what they are doing.

I went to the mall on a Saturday afternoon, I knew there would be plenty of people walking around and I would be able to find a spot to sit and make my observations. When I arrived at the mall it was just as I had suspected plenty of cars in the parking lot signifying that the mall was packed. I drove around for a while I was trying to find a parking space. As I am driving around I start to analyze the parking lot. It resembles structural functionalism. I am somewhat confused because I didn’t expect my research to start so soon. I notice that like every piece of the parking lot has a purpose from the cross walks to keep people safe to the handicap parking allowing those with disabilities to not have to travel as far due to a certain condition. At this point I knew I had to get into the mall to begin my research on people and not parking lots.

As I enter the mall I am looking around trying to choose the perfect spot to be able to take my notes and do my research without being to noticeable. There are so many people walking around, families, teenagers, mothers with strollers and even elderly people who look like they are doing laps around the mall for exercise. This is a two story mall and I entered at the bottom level so I decide to go up stairs. I start heading towards the food court and I sit on a bench. Across from me is the tables for the food court, to my left is a...