Philippine Malls: Culture, Pop Culture, and Globalization

• "Ang Mall Bilang Kuna: Pagsusuri sa Kulturang Popular at Globalisasyon sa Pilipinas" explores the mall as an ideal space and its role in popular culture and globalization in the Philippines.
• The presenter is Marc Angelo C. Parumog, MAEd, LPT from the Departamento ng Araling Pilipino, Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura, Bulacan State University.

The Mall as an Ideal Space

• The mall is portrayed as an ideal space because of the even lighting, clean environment, air conditioning, and orderly services.
• Malls aim to provide everything one needs in a secure, well-maintained environment with comfortable amenities.
• Malls give an impression of an organized space, with consistent lighting, cleanliness, climate control, landscaping, and functioning restrooms.

Mall Experiences

• Malls offer a variety of experiences, including dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Controlled Experiences

• The design directs consumers through multiple stores, potentially increasing "impulsive buying".
• Getting lost in a mall is sometimes intentional to boost store profits.
• Consumers may come to the mall with a purpose, but the space's structure influences them to buy more.
• Store design and product placement are strategized to impact consumer decisions.
• Supermarkets strategically place products at the front of shelves and use large pushcarts to encourage more purchases.
• Red is a common color for fast-food chains.
• Buffets use small plates to encourage more frequent visits to the food line, while fine dining establishments use larger plates.

Mall Structure

• The design of malls reflects a controlled experience.
• Malls carefully select elements to make shoppers feel pleasure, order, and comfort.
• Malls conceal the realities of politics and inequality.
• Store placement, target markets, and specific purposes.
• It must be considered that there are politics behind the placement of different shops.
• Consumers may visit a mall to impulse buy or because of a specific strategy.

Three Perspectives on Popular Culture

• Institutional perspective: Cultural and political institutions shape people's consciousness.
• Popularist perspective: People actively create popular culture.
• Third perspective: Power of the individual shaped by institutions.

The Mall as a Vehicle for Globalization

• Malls promote foreign cultures through products, services, and experiences.
• Malls encourage adaptation of foreign concepts such as selling winter coats despite a tropical climate, promoting beauty standards and the "coffee lifestyle" of Western coffee shops, and selling imported products like Swiss watches and Italian furniture as status symbols.
• Franchised dermatological shops expose Filipinos to foreign concepts of beauty.
• French bread sold in "French bakeshops" represents an artificial, presumed authentic experience.

Artificial Experiences

• Malls create the illusion of experiencing foreign cultures locally.
• Ice skating rinks in malls provide an experience common in countries with cold climates, becoming an attraction despite not connecting with typical Filipino experiences.
• Samgyupsal (South Korea), sushi bars (Japan), and Italian restaurants normalize foreign dining in malls, but their commercial nature makes them artificial.
• "Christmas Wonderland" themes with snow machines create an artificial winter atmosphere, even in tropical climates.
• International fashion brands like H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo introduce foreign clothing standards.

Problems with this Model

• Malls attempt to create an image of progress, offering "first-world" experiences.
• The mall environment may seem to suggest that everything is satisfactory.
• This does not reflect the reality for many Filipinos, especially those on the margins of society.
• Malls with high-end boutiques and dining options create an impression of exclusivity.
• Luxury car showrooms inside malls project an image of financial ease and a strong economy.

The Mall as a Producer of an Image of Development

• Malls try to portray a "first-world" experience.
• Inside malls, people shop, dine in restaurants, watch high-tech cinema, making it seem like everything is well.
• The image does not correspond to the real situation of most Filipinos.

Non-Inclusive Progress

• Despite symbolizing progress, malls do not provide inclusion.
• Malls are often surrounded by informal settlers who do not benefit from development.
• Land values around malls increase, but those living nearby remain impoverished without a mechanism for inclusion in progress.
• High-end malls may be surrounded by marginalized communities.

Controlled Space

• Malls are controlled spaces with standards for entry based on dress, behavior, and ability to buy.
• Malls exclude beggars and undesirable elements to maintain its image.
• Malls set prices, unlike traditional markets, and manipulate temperature and music to encourage longer stays leading to more purchases.

Reflection on the Mall Experience

• It's important to consider working conditions, product origins, and space design to promote business.
• Malls aren't neutral spaces; malls are components of larger socio-economic systems.
• It's important to question why sales personnel are required to stand for long hours and consider the production labor practices of certain brands.

Exploitative Labor Practices

• Exploitative labor practices are unfair or abusive actions by employers or companies against their workers.
• These practices lead to an uneven dynamic where workers are exploited without receiving adequate benefits, fair wages, or proper treatment.
• Examples: Low Wages, contractualization, excessive overtime, and unsafe working conditions.

Examples of Unjust Labor Practices

• Low wages that do not meet basic needs.
• Contractualization: Hiring workers to avoid benefits like health insurance or retirement pay.
• Requiring long working hours without pay for overtime.
• Unsafe working conditions.
• The use of child labor.
• Restrictions to the rights of workers to unionize or collectively bargain.
• Imposing abusive production quotas.

Causes and Effects

• Exploitative labor practices occur because there are few regulations, poverty, profit-driven mindsets, and a lack of education about worker rights.
• These practices contribute to stress, illness, injury, and lack of opportunity for workers, as well as societal inequality and economic problems.

Conclusion

• The mall symbolizes globalization, artificial experiences, and uneven development.
• The mall is a controlled space enforcing an image of development which conceals deeper social issues.

Exit Ticket

• It's important to analyze experiences within malls to fully understand the implications on culture, the economy, and society.