Visuality, urbanity and consumption: microsocial production of space in Mexico City shopping malls

Abstract

The article starts out by conceiving shopping malls as one of the main scenes of urban life. That is, spaces for visibility as well as anonymity, despite their consumer vocation. This was the basis of research in microsocial interactions in two Mexico City malls. Data was acquired by the ethnographic method, combining direct observations with semi-structured interviews and photographic records. The discussion suggests that the architectural and advertising space planned fosters complex urban and commercial dynamics which are complemented with the practices of its users. The conclusion appeals to the importance of sensory experiences that offer a space not only in terms of its objects, but also the perceptive and significant processes triggered in the interactions with it and with the others.