Over the course of time, there has been numerous amounts of goods introduced to the global market have acted as a lens in which societal changes can be observed through. By reviewing a society’s most demanded commodities and goods at a given time, one can acquire further insight into certain cultural aspects and values those societies may have held. Coffee is one such good that can provide such an insight into the social status and values of a time period. Further understanding of how coffee has played a role in social aspects of consumer countries, as well as portraying the social environment of such countries, can be gained when looking deeper into the history surrounding coffee and its development into society. “Culture infuses coffee with social and symbolic meanings” (Tucker 6), and in specific cases this connection between coffee and a consumer countries’ social atmosphere can indeed represent the culture. Since coffees initial introduction into the global market and up until present day, coffee has represented a variety of cultural elements in societies. Such elements include the social …show more content…
During this time period, the world’s global connectedness was only just being established, and many foreign goods were limited to European societies, thus being reserved primarily to the wealthy, who were able to afford the costly imports. Another good which exemplifies such a representation of the division among classes is that of the color purple, which was so limited that only royalty were capable of affording the commodity. As is often seen in society, the wealthy retain the ability to afford goods, such as coffee, which are not necessities, while the middle class and poor face the need to delegate their earning to basic life necessities needed to
The Drink of reason, coffee, seems to not have changed much culturally to this day, as when it is brought to the table over 250 years ago (pg. 170). Coffee remains to be the drink over which people meet
Almost everyone drinks coffee. Most people view it as part of their basic needs. It is normally the first to be consumed whenever a day starts. It is commonly believed that a cup of coffee makes someone brighter and so able to perform his or her duties actively. This is therefore my chosen product. The following sections describes the path the product takes from the producer to reach me as well as to another consumer in another country which will be Brazil in this case.
A) Coffee originated in Yemen, Arabia where it was viewed as a religious beverage. Over time it spread to Mecca and Cairo, where it became a recreational drink to be drunk in a social manner in large coffee houses. It also became a popular substitute for alcohol, which was banned under Islam. Europeans traveling in the Middle East came upon coffee and coffeehouses and commented on their popularity. But it wasn’t until 1652, when an Armenian servant named Pasqua Rosee opened the first coffee house in London, that coffee transformed from a little known novelty into a wide spread phenomenon. When, in 1658, Cromwell died and public opinion swung in the favor of a new monarchy, coffee houses became central in political debates and commercial business. The trend quickly caught on and coffee houses became fashionable throughout Europe.
The caffeine in coffee become an ethical increase over alcohol and have become a fashionable social beverage. It was interesting to see how it started off as this very exotic drink only for the upper class and then turned into what it is now. Coffee is a very fashionable drink that does not cost much that many have led their days with in today’s society.
focus on coffee and hereby take an approach similar to Boratav (2001) who examines terms
Coffee has not only impacted the world socially, but it provides financial means for many countries who export their coffee beans. Just like any alcohol, coffee was a major economic item and it helped the economy grow in many different places.
Coffee has played a major role in the lives of many people around the world. “Yet, poetic as its taste may be, coffee’s history is rife with controversy and politics…[becoming a] creator of revolutionary sedition in Arab countries and in Europe” (Pendergrast xvi). After reading Uncommon Grounds, it is apparent that the history of coffee is intertwined with the aspects of the globalization process, the role of Multi-National Corporations, and global economic issues.
Coffee consumption in China is highly concentrated in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Also other cities like Wuhan coffee culture seems to expand. Recently coffee appeals to adventurous young, rich, and urban consumers. This is just because originally coffee is considered as a Western concept to most Chinese consumers. According to Subhuti (2003), the Chinese do not consume coffee because of its potential health value either in terms of modern medical data or traditional Chinese medical concepts. Rather, it has been consumed until now as part of the fascination with western culture that has grown during the past few decades. However the coffee culture is getting well known in China nowadays. Chinese
Statistics show that over half of the American population consumes coffee on a daily basis. You may drink coffee hot, cold, mixed, or even in a frappuccino. Individuals are able to make coffee at home, or buy it on the go. Coffee provides people with caffeine, which ultimately gives energy for hardworking people all around the world. The main focus for this paper will cover the following topics, with coffee as the basis: causes for shifts in supply and demand, how coffee supply and demand influence price, quantity,
Coffee quickly became the drink of intellect and industry being known to sharpen the mind. Taverns were replaced with a more sophisticated meeting place, the coffeehouse. These “led to the establishment of scientific societies and financial institutions, the founding of newspapers, and provided fertile ground for revolutionary thought.” [4]
The drink was no longer just a utilitarian morning stimulant and has a satellite pastime very European style: the windows from floor to ceiling, special atmosphere, soft music, dozens of varieties of coffee. However, besides all this, coffee is a business not only successful, but also has today a huge potential for development.
Coffee is a beverage that is globally consumed, but also a product that has different values in different parts of the world. The role coffee plays in society differs around the world, from the farmers who grew the crops to the people who constantly consume them. Social theoretical perspectives are capable of showing the different roles coffee has in different societies. Symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and Marxism are three theories which show coffee’s role sociologically. These theories show how coffee affects people physically, how it affects them emotionally, how it leads them to have interactions, how it connects different parts of society, and how it’s economically controlled by a select few.
Seeing someone holding a cup of coffee on the street is not unusual at all nowadays. In fact, they are starting to get more common. There are now different varieties to choose from. Shops or cafes also provide a lot of different choices or products to consumers. Prices could range from low to high, depending on what type of coffee beans you have chosen to make the coffee. By adopting the sociological imagination to coffee, it gives us a better understanding of what coffee represents in a social context. Based on the definition by Mills, [the sociological imagination can be defined as] the ability to understand the dynamic relationship between individual lives and the larger society (Ravelli, Bruce and Michelle Webber, 2016). This is basically where individuals have to think outside the box. In this case, we have to think specifically for the object, coffee. For instance, how does it perform its function in the society?
The demand for coffee shops is born from the increased number of individuals seeking coffee brewed outside of the home. This creates a larger market for coffee shops. An increased amount of people are starting their mornings off by purchasing breakfast and a cup of coffee away from home (Tuttle 2014), more people are enjoying gourmet coffee (NCA National Coffee Drinking Trends 2015 Infographic), and younger generations are demanding more coffee and coffee drinks from coffee shops (Tuttle 2014, S&D Coffee and Tea inc. 2014, Statista 2015). Coffee shops must compete with at home coffee, work place coffee, and teas for the caffeinated beverage markets (LN 2015). Demand for coffee within different markets varies, and provides competition for coffee shops. Single cup coffee makers, increasingly qualitative instant coffees, and gourmet beans are all sources of competition that could satisfy the demand for coffee. However, coffee shops are becoming more ingrained in social
Costa Rica now provided raw material for Starbucks which accounted for about 15 percent of the total coffee beans Starbucks needed every year. Costa Rica as one of the raw material suppliers plays an important role in global value chain. Coffee has played a pivotal role in the development of Costa Rica. It has shaped social, cultural and political institutions and is still one of country’s major agricultural exports. (Anywhere, 2016) The global value chain in this coffee industry can be described that Starbucks, the centre in this coffee global value chain, purchasing raw materials (coffee beans) from coffee farms in Costa Rica, reprocessing and reproducing in retail shops, selling the finished products (various kinds of coffee) to customers in the world.