Of food courts and other demons: shopping malls in Mexico as new centers for urban life

Shopping malls are a global phenomenon that has transformed the urban landscape towards a division in homogenized spaces worldwide throughout the last decades. We find malls in almost every bigger city. They offer a space where everybody, no matter where they are from, knows one’s way around. Especially Mexico seems to offer a fertile ground for the success of malls as they offer a presumably needed safe and prestigious space for social encounter. Furthermore, they often provoke the consolidation of whole new city districts. In consequence, what makes this phenomenon interesting for an anthropological study, are the socio-spatial practices that go beyond the intended use of a mall. This article wants to give a brief insight on the impact that malls can have on Mexican cities, using the city of Puebla as an example. Therefore it shall be questioned what makes malls so attractive and how this changes social dynamics in the urban landscape.Keywords: Shopping Malls. Urban Anthropology. Globalization. Public Space. Social Exclusion