Krystal D'COSTAThe Anthropology of Coffee

@anthinpractice

The Anthropology of Coffee

Presented by Krystal D’Costa

I Need Coffee!

Before coffee. After coffee.

The Origins of Coffee

• Dutch word = koffie

• But the beverage—and plant—much older!

• An African origin?

The Goatherd

The Arab World

• Credited to the Arab world = khave

• 11th-century: First brewed in Yemen

• 13th-century: Popular among Muslim communities

The Culture of the Coffee House

( Coffee house, Ottoman Empire.)

The Culture of the Coffee House

Out of Arabia

• Arabs controlled distribution.

• Indian smuggler strapped beans to belly.

Global Travels

Global Travels• Dutch gift plant

to Louis XIV.

• Naval officer smuggles a seedling to Caribbean: Martinique.

Coffee in the Americas and Beyond

Source: National Geographic, 1999

The End of Coffee in America?

• Decline in coffee from 1960s to 1980s.

– Bad: Price of beans increased.

– Worse: Consumers revolt: not paying for bland coffee.

– Terrible: Targeted 20 – 29-year-olds have no interest in coffee!

Advertising to the Rescue!

Room for Smaller Brands

Driven by Productivity

The Culture of Productivity

The Ritual of Consumption

• Trained socially to think coffee is a tool.

– Helps us start our day and concentrate.

– Normalizes the imposed work routine.

Anthropology in Practice

• What is anthropology?

–Anthropology lets us understand the human experience.

Anthropology in Practice

The study of human life is all around us.

www.anthropologyinpractice.com@anthinpractice