The Family Christian Stores

     I am new to the Augusta area, and I spend most of my time at the shopping center down the street from my house. The area is visible in the map above. In this shopping center there is a Target, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, 2 christian stores, Hobby Lobby, etc. If I'm not at school, work ,or home, chances are I'm at this shopping center. I found it only fitting that I complete my Social Location Project in that area. It was difficult to find examples of the key terms that we had not already discussed in class. I was inside Target for hours before I gave up and went to the next store. Naturally I was drawn to the Family Christian Stores out of sheer curiosity. I just wanted to see if I could find examples of heteronormativity and sexism there. I never intended to find these terms at work in this store, after all it is a CHRISTIAN Store!!!

     The Family Christian Stores is where I go for all of my religious needs; be it a devotional, a bible, a study bible, or what have you. This store is one of the few places where I can go that is  God-centered in every aspect from their books to their movies. In essence, this store is like my lighthouse. It is a neutral, unbiased zone for the entire family. I thought this would be the last place that I would find any of the key terms listed in the paragraphs to follow. As a result, I took it as a challenge to find demonstrations of terms like sexism and patriarchy at work in this "neutral-zone". With determination and doubt, I headed into the Family Christian Stores (FCS).

     

     I admit that at first it was difficult to find examples of such negative terms like sexism, patriarchy, and the like, because I have such a positive opinion of this store. I definitely had to look at my surroundings through a pair of lens that I have never used before. In the end, it was truly eye opening to see that even Christian stores are a source of oppression and marginalization. 

     I wondered: "What can I do to change the issues I identified below? After all I'm just a customer, what power do I really have?". As a college student, I definitely know the value of a dollar. As a citizen in a society that is categorized by social class, I know that money has power. As a consumer, I have come to realize that I participate in an oppressive and discriminatory system by offering my money to this store. By simply exchanging goods, I have turned a blind eye to the exclusion and sexism that I experienced in the FCS. I am basically paying them to oppress and marginalize those identified as "others" in society.