Sense and Sagacity Amongst the Starbucks Three (Satire)

Learning about dramaturgy and the idea of maintaining self is very important to social interactions. Erving Goffman’s theoretical concepts that make up dramaturgy can be seen in many social settings especial at Starbucks. By using the different tools that make up impression management I can see how we are very much like actors in a play that are trying to maintain a believable performance.

For my ethnography project, I decided to observe the Starbucks on Rockside Road in Independence, Ohio. My plan was to observe the subculture of Starbucks’ customers. A subculture is defined as a “structured social inequality or, more specifically, systematic inequalities between groups of people that arise as intended or unintended consequences of social processes and relationships.” My question was twofold. Does Starbucks appeal to certain social statuses? And if so, does Starbucks serve as another example of social inequality?

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 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.

I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a very popular chain of coffee vendors that describe their product as more about quality than what Americans are used to in typical coffee joints.

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.

Hi Jill, I used Starbucks as one of the companies I wrote about in this week's written assignment. While it's nice to treat myself to go out and get coffee sometimes, I barely ever do because, aside from the price, I hate the waste that these places produce. Think about how many people Starbucks serves a day worldwide, and the majority of those cups are going to be thrown away. Now, they do have reusable cups that you can bring in to be filled, but many people, myself included, don't remember to do that. Or it's such a spontaneous trip to the coffee shop, that you can't always think ahead to have your reusable cup with you. So it was nice to read about how Starbucks is making their cups out of materials that are certified recyclable material in most

“Four young black college students sit down at a Woolworth and ask to be served coffee. At first they’re met with comical stares and indifference, and are promptly ignored. But the

Joshua Davenport owned a coffee bar/bistro in the small town of Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania situated on the Delaware River. He wanted to bring the old world elegance to his rural community, a place where neighbors could meet and converse over espresso drinks prepared by an expert barista. The shops name is called “Espressivo” that attracted many young people, especially the college students at the nearby campus, and older

North of Manhattan, a good cup of coffee is hard to come by; the taste is lacking in strength and not much thought is put into its production. Profit-seeking coffee chains like Dunkin Donuts and Donut Delight are widespread and lack in quality. More often than not, coffee is a $3 afterthought of dessert, rather than a delicacy in itself. Lorca cafe, situated in downtown Stamford on Bedford Street, appreciates the artistry and skill that must be employed to brew a decent cup of coffee. Spanish and western-Mediterranean influences are uniform throughout the flavors and venue. The chic, modern atmosphere is equipped with ample power outlets to provide the perfect workplace for the productive

Stereotype threats are negative consequences about one’s race, sex, nationality, or social group. Stereotype threats are used a lot more frequently than people realize. Gender is a powerful stereotype that affects many people’s decisions and actions. The stereotype of women in the workplace has come a long way even in the last twenty years. Many businesses tend to want to diversify their demographics by making the ratio of men to women almost equal. “Demographic projections anticipate that by the year 2000 women will exceed 50 per cent of the total workforce…” (Johnston and Packer, 1987). Women were able to make their way in to the workplace when men were off at war during the 1950s. During this time, women proved their ability to do the same kind of jobs men did. Many women worked as machinist, factory workers, and clergies.

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.

Starbucks positions itself as a place college students can hang out, study, write term papers and meet people. A Starbucks appeal to this consumer directly through introducing technology as soon as it comes available, focusing on social networking and actively cultivating a “cool” image. The young adult audience grows 4.6 percent each year (O’ Farrell).” However, the majority of the advertising is catered to Adults around the ages of 25 to 40. Adults seem to prefer a pick me up first thing in the morning on their way to work. Most Starbucks today have a drive thru to make it faster to grab and go.

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?

Starbucks first opened its doors in Seattle’s Pike Place Market with the name being coined from that of Moby Dick’s first mate (Schultz & Yang 1999). It has spread its shops across North America, all over Europe, the Middle East, Latin America as well as the Pacific Rim with an estimated 35 million customer weekly (Michelli, 2008). With tremendous growth from a small time coffee shop, the company has matured to an international icon that today it is one of the world’s leading retailer, roaster and brand specialty coffee (Story, 1971). The company offers whole bean coffees, espresso beverages, and confectionery and bakery items.