Fatemeh Gholami[1], Maryam Ghazinejad[2], Soheila Sadeghi Fassaei[3]

Abstract
The present study intends to explore the lived experience of saleswomen working in new shopping centers and thereby achieve its semantic implications. Malls and shopping centers have expanded in megacities such as Tehran in recent years. This shows forms of consumer culture in society, as well as informal work and the feminization of the workforce and its challenges. This research has used qualitative grounded theory method. The Purposive sampling Methods with maximum variety was used to gather the samples. Additionally semi-structured interviews were used to gather the data. 30 saleswomen working in shopping centers participated in the research sampling.

The results of the research show that causal factors such as economic autonomy, easy access to the sales job, femininity of the work environment, an opportunity to be seen and redefining the female identity, have played a role in explaining the lived experience of working women. Meanwhile, ignoring work rules, work bodies including;Exhibitive body (imposing clothing and makeup codes and saleswomen as a model), disciplinary body, faking kindness, and customer-oriented rationality act as intrusive strategies and conditions. According to the present study, the lived experience of saleswomen in shopping malls has resulted in accepting inferiority, and alienation. The Core category also implies "selling as exploitation".

Keywords: Shopping center, Saleswomen, lived experience, Exploitation, faking kindness.

[1]Phd student of sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Alzahra University. Tehran, Iran. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[2] Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Alzahra University. Tehran, Iran. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[3] Professor, Department of Sociology, Tehran University. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• < Prev
• Next >