They further analysed these emotions stating, “What unites all these cognates is that they involve the feeling of a threat to a social bond.” (Scheff, 2000, p.97). When examining the work of Goffman, as they developed Cooley’s work on the self-idea, Thomas Scheff (2000) noted that there are ‘social emotions’ themed throughout both their works, in particular shame which encompasses other emotions including embarrassment, shyness and humiliation. The highlighting of emotions such as pride and shame are interesting and could be linked with Cooley’s work on the self-idea who notes these emotions as a key element in the development of self-feeling (Cooley, 1922, p.184). It is worth noting that further research into nostalgia has found that when utilising nostalgia in a consumption specific context the consumer responded more to personal nostalgia than historical nostalgia which the Disney park are replete, although there are examples of historic nostalgia evident in Disneyland Paris’ exclusive Ratatouille ride or Disney world’s hall of presidents (Muehling & Pascal, 2012). Heritage is something that suffuses us with pride rather than shame.” (Kammen, 2011, p.688). The powerful pull of yesteryear and why it is important is linked to this idea of heritage as Michael Kammen (2011) explains ”Nostalgia, with its wistful memories, is essentially history without guilt. The utilisation of nostalgia by Disney is essential to generate the feeling of heritage, and for everyone who visits Disneyland it becomes a form of social cohesion, a shared love or regard for something. In their essay on nostalgia Fred Davis claims it is at the very core of the modern condition stating that nostalgia is, “the mourning of displacement and temporal irreversibility.” (Davis, 2011, p.453). The inevitable impact of a childhood link to Disney is the generation of nostalgia when coming into contact with any Disney themed stimuli as an adult. Disney in this case is a powerful word insomuch that it embodies more than a company but a societal institution that has a global impact particularly on the socialisation of children. In order to discuss the experience of Disneyland it is important to establish the framework of the majority of adult park visitors. It will utilise a range of sociological sources and approaches including the work of Jean Baudrillard, Fred Davis, and Erving Goffman. This essay will examine the experience of Disneyland as a park user of adult age by looking at the consumer experience, simulacra (Baudrillard, 1981) (specifically environmental simulacra), and nostalgia. The sociological exploration of Disney, and in particular its parks, requires a focus on the visitor and how they experience the carefully curated fantasy managed by Disney as an institution. Day one in the Big Mouse House comes with immersion into the film/television aesthetic of Disney, Disney ears with favourite nostalgic film character, and the purchase of their products such as alcohol and photopass (located in the box on the table).
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