Making Love in Supermarkets - Essay Example

Making Love in Supermarkets ‘Making love in supermarkets’ is a chapter from the book ‘A theory of shopping’ written by David Miller. In the chapter, Miller postulates that shopping has become a way through which the acts of love and care get registered nowadays. He argues that the contemporary hedonist shopping has become transformed in a manner that relationships can be identified through shopping. He claims that the traditional form of shopping has transformed to a more devotional sense where people almost conduct shopping as sacrifice. He argues that the religious values of love and care get manifested through shopping in the modern secular world. Miller rejects the assumption that shopping gets concerned with individuals and materialism (Miller 44). He argues that the approaches and decisions consumers, who are mostly female, make while purchasing commodities indicates something about their relationships. Housewives become tasked with the role of provisioning for the family through shopping for basic necessities such as food commodities. While analyzing the concept of making love in supermarkets, Miller asks for a deeper understanding into the role of housewives in the family. A problem that has no name is a chapter from Betty Friedan’s book called ‘Feminine mystique’ published in 1963. The book resulted out of a survey conducted by Friedan on her former college mates as well as other suburban women. In examining the problem that has no name, Friedan notes of unhappiness and discontent among suburban, upper middle class women. The problem that has no name pinpoints to widespread unhappiness among suburban women in the 50’s and early 60s. She identifies a problem that has no name as discontent among these women of their traditional gender roles as housewives (Friedan 12). She notes that these women are craving for more duties outside those implicated by the society on them as; housewives, mothers and homemakers. Friedan blames the media for idealizing the image of a woman as that of just a housewife. According to Miller, housewives use their shopping time to express love to their families by selecting commodities that are healthy and can mould them into better persons. Housewives select the best items for their family in a view to appease them and make them happy and or comfortable. Miller views shopping as an expression of love since the shoppers are catering explicitly to the need and requirements of family members. Not only do shoppers cater for the family members needs but they also aim at improving their lives (Miller 16). For example, Miller shows that while shopping for groceries, shoppers tend to pick healthier foods for the family than the members would have shopped. According to Miller, this is an act of selflessness and care through which the shoppers get to show compassion for their family members. In this light, Miller calls for a deeper analysis of housewifery. Miller sates that housewifery gets concerned with the most important work in the family. He states that housewives mostly undertake issues concerned with the families’ logistics. Miller also states that most of the wife’s work goes unnoticed in the household. Husbands may act on their own accord in regards to shopping and not care about the wife’s purchasing. Through shopping, a housewife may also deny herself pleasure in order to please others and this shows a feeling of love (Miller 66). Upon Miller’s definition and view of housewifery, we get to draw a similarity to Betty Freidan’s ‘a problem that has no name’. From both books, the authors present the roles of women as typically revolving around house chores. Miller postulates that housewives undertake chores such as shopping for groceries as a means to reciprocate their love back to their family. In Miller’s description of housewives, most of the description gets based on work around the home. Meanwhile, Betty Freidan views the problem that has no name to be a yearning among suburban women calling for more than just being housewives. Freidan quips that there is a voice among women who want their work around the family to become recognized too. Both views by Friedan and Miller indicate an effort by both authors to understand the role of housewifery. Miller and Friedan analyze the roles of women in the family and housewifery. In making love in supermarkets, Miller postulates the role of women in the family as that of provisioning for household commodities such as groceries and shopping (Miller 11). Friedan, on the other hand, studies that women are discontent with the role of being housewives and only associated with house chores. Miller postulates that women reciprocate their love towards other family members through shopping and views this as a crucial role which they play in society. In a problem that has no name, Friedan argues that the media is to blame for painting the idea of a true woman as that of a housewife (Friedan 25). She claims that this view impacts on the society negatively. She argues that women are crying out for more roles in society such as those in politics and pursuing higher educations. Miller views housewifery as a role that requires deeper understanding through its ability to manifest love. Friedan views housewifery as a role that narrows women aspirations since they give up on their education and careers in order to fulfill societal role of being mothers, wives and home makers. Both authors point out the idea that housewifery is a role fulfilled in the family by women. Friedan states that despite the discontent among women in their role as just being housewives, it does not call for the loss of duty as mothers and wives. In his book, Miller calls for a deeper understanding in the role of housewives in determining family social relations. Miller views that most of the time, the consumers are normally female who see and bear the feeling that it is their social responsibility to be housewives whether she gets paid for her work or not. Women get determined to fulfill this role by making choices which are beneficial to the family members and improve their lives (Miller 32). According to Friedan, women want more roles in the family asides from being mothers and wives. Conclusion Both Miller and Friedan review the role of housewifery in the family. Miller notes on the different levels of categories of housewives at the household level. Miller views the work of the woman as to be traditionally made up of provisioning for the family by purchase of commodities to be used around the house. Miller also notes of the housewives whose work goes unnoticed despite their efforts to please their families. Through housewifery, women are still able to show love towards their family members through the decisions they make while shopping and or purchasing or commodities. He concludes by asking that a deeper understanding on the role of housewifery in the family needs to be made. On the other hand, Friedan makes her case for the problem that has no name as a calling among suburban women tired with just playing the role of housewives in their lives and homes. These women, she says, want to explore their full human capacity and not just being tied to the traditional role of being a home maker as portrayed in the American culture of the 60’s. The problem that has no name represents the growing number of women discontent with just being housewives. This group of women is ambitious and wants more fulfillments in life including careers for them. These women, she says, also want their roles in the family to become much more appreciated. Miller and Friedan try to analyze the role of the housewife in the day to day running of family affairs. While Miller seeks to understand a deeper meaning on housewifery in regards to shopping, Friedan offers her discontent among suburban women who have become tired of playing the traditional housewife role of just getting married, having children and or managing a home. Works Cited Betty, Friedan. The Feminine Mystique. New York: Norton, 2001. Print Daniel, Miller. A Theory of Shopping. New York: Cornell University Press, 1998. Print Read More