Friday, July 13, 2007

Scholars and Starbucks





No, this is not a post about drinking coffee to stay up late to read or write, though that is often what I do in these final days and weeks of dissertation writing. Rather, this is a presentation by historian Bryant Simon discussing the cultural meaning of Starbucks, and the social meanings of coffee, consumption, and commodification. No doubt his forthcoming book will stir up great discussion -- conducted over a cup of coffee of course. (HT: The Brew)
NEW: My good friend and colleague LK (read here) has some interesting thoughts related to what Simon discusses.

6 comments:

Edward Carson said...

I used to be able to sit, read, and write at Barns & Noble/Starbucks; however, I now find myself wondering around the stacks looking for something to read that I do not need to read. My kind (bookish) should never walk into a book store/ Starbucks to work.

There is this great bar/coffee house/ resturant in the Heights of Houston called the OC that is perfect; yet again I find the diversity of the people (a number of catogorical diverse people)so interesting that I always end up talking. Of course I only have this problem when I have stacks of essays to grade.

Phil said...

I can certainly relate to the stacks wandering.....perhaps the OC is something to check out in late July?

Phil said...

Also, when you have time, I'd love to get more of your thoughts on Simon's talk. I find his cultural and class analysis compelling and interesting, and the kind of conversations, I think, that would challenge students at our respective institutions.

Edward Carson said...

Cool. I read that piece on Simon and found it very interesting for a few reasons. I arrive in Houston late tonight and TCU in the morning. I will for sure respond.

Edward Carson said...

Very good presentation. At first I thought he was going to juxtapose the forces of capitalism and globilization with the ever expanding concept of democracy since the Cold War. You know,MacDonaldization, Coca-colaization, etc. I must confess that I never saw Starbucks as this great bohemian flavor in which white liberals would either build a construct to address race, or to cover their guilt using central concept that brings black and whites together.

I always saw Starbucks as a community replacement for middle class bars that are deemed inappropriate in white Protestant neighborhoods. Of course Sarbucks is a very urban process too.

What do you think?

Phil said...

I like Simon's analysis, and think his analysis of race and class is intelligent and seems to be dead on. Incorporating the spatial analysis is fascinating as well. I'd like to read his book, and do some of my own observation to think through his commentary on the coffeeshop. I wonder if he addresses Starbucks shops in grocery stores or on college campuses; I'd be interested to see where his analysis goes here.