Noorte ajaveetmispraktikad Viru keskuses
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Leisure practices of the youth in Viru Shopping Centre
Keywords: shopping mall, adolescents, socialisation, consumption culture, leisure
With a society geared towards consumption, certain models of behaviour have emerged – a
new expression called consumption culture has been adopted to characterise it. This
phenomenon is described by direct consumption and also consumption as recreation;
spending time in shopping malls, creating an identity via different brands etc. Alongside
adults, also adolescents have started spending their leisure time in malls.
This relatively new form of spending time in Estonian society came about when Viru
shopping centre was completed in 2004. It opened up a public discussion about
consumption society, shopping malls and the adolescents who spend their time there.
Even though in other parts of the world the reasons why adolescents spend their time in
malls have been researched since the 1980s, the author knows of no specific research on
adolescents` habits spending their time in Estonia.
The objective of this study was to find out why adolescents have chosen Viru shopping
centre as the place to spend their leisure time via in depth interviews.
The empiric part of the paper consists of the analysis based on the results and conclusions
of the in depth interviews carried out with twelve informants.
The results showed that the respondents have chosen Viru centre as the place to spend
leisure time primarily because of its location in the city centre and the warm and safe
environment of the shopping mall, where it is convenient to meet and communicate with
friends.
According to the respondents, the relations between the adolescents spending their time in
Viru centre are good, but the adolescents who spend their time in the centre were described
in a negative light. This posed a contradiction and a wish to distance themselves from those
who spend time in Viru centre.
The respondents said that their relationships with their parents and Viru centre employees
are good, if everyone takes each other into consideration.
The main activities were similar to the results of studies carried out elsewhere in the world.
These include meeting friends, talking and walking around. One special way of spending
leisure time is taking photos in the dressing rooms – something the author did not find in
other similar studies.
The results showed that the respondents do not connect their activity in Viru shopping
centre with the concept of shopping, calling this form of spending leisure time “chilling”,
which still does include traits associated with shopping like simply being in a shopping
mall, walking in shops and trying on clothes.
In summary, the respondents appreciated Viru shopping centre because of the social aspect
of an open space to spend time, not because of the activities related to consumption.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd, tarbimisühiskond, tarbimiskultuur, tarbimine, tarbijad, noored, vaba aeg, ärikeskused