(JCB) Chapter 5: Shopping/Social Order

I didn’t think shopping of being a way we are and shapes us. In this chapter it talks about social solidarity and anomie. Social solidarity is a group of people that like the same things. Anomie is ” a concept that makes us understand why shopping might appeal to people who lack social connections: if you feel isolated and lack a sense of purpose, going shopping may be a way to try to counterbalance those feelings, to provide a sense of purpose in your life, and feel connected to the larger group. ” I see shopping as a tool to create social solidarity to address the problem of anomie. Durkheim believed that societies with strong social solidarity were likely to have lower suicide rates because individuals who are well integrated into a larger social group were less likely to feel the despair and isolation that can lead somebody to take their own life. I believe this supports both social solidarity and anomie because no one likes to be alone and shopping is a tool for people to talk to people and find people who like the same thing and have someone to talk and hangout with.