The Social Life of Coffee 1

Running Head: The Social Life of Coffee

The Social Life of Coffee How Coffee Has Impacted the Modern World Chelsea Cogburn University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Introduction: History of the Coffee Beverage

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Coffee has been described for centuries as a miracle plant. Not only does coffee 10/29/13 9:46 AM
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provide energy and stimulation, it also influences society by creating establishments which 7, encourage socialization. In our modern age, this is easily taken for granted because most people have many platforms for discussing ideas and beliefs, and for socializing with friends. However, throughout history this has not always been the case. The introduction of the coffee shop in

2013 9:04 AM Great start to paper!

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Arabia also introduced a central gathering place for people to discuss their beliefs and to network with others who shared the same ideas. The development of coffee beverages has been said to go hand in hand with modernity and the busy lifestyles that we typically maintain. Coffee has even had an influence on modern military. Coffee is said to be a cup of Joe, named after the symbolic G.I. Joe. In Ethiopia, there is a Kaldi legend which describes the discovery of coffee as an incident in which a goat herder noticed that his goats were particularly energized after eating the berries. Kaldi reported his observation to the local monastery, where the abbot then made a drink with the berries and found himself to be energized throughout evening prayer. He shared his 7, experience with other monks within the monastery and eventually the use of coffee spread East to the Arabian peninsula. By the Fifteenth century, the cultivation of coffee was common in the Yemeni district of Arabia. It was around the sixteenth century that coffee houses were introduced across the Near East. Coffee became popular in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. Coffee houses became not only popular for coffee drinkers, but also for social gatherings, music, and sharing of knowledge and ideas. These coffee houses became known as Schools of the

7, 2013 9:04 AM Reword to explain that this the first coffee shop and when it was introduced.

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7, 2013 9:04 AM This is where you should possibly start the literature review. 10/29/13 9:46 AM
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2013 9:04 AM How far does the legend dates back?

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Wise because they were a place in which people could discuss their beliefs and learn from others. By the Seventeenth century, European travelers had begun to bring the mysterious dark beverage home from their travels to the Near East. When the drink was introduced to Venice in 1615, the local clergy initially condemned it, calling it the Bitter invention of Satan. The opposition to the bitter beverage was so great by the clergy that Pope Clement VIII was called in order to give his opinion on the beverage. He found the drink satisfying and immediately gave the drink Papal approval. Despite the disagreements between clergy members and citizens, coffee houses became enormously popular in the major cities of Europe, where coffee became a social center for knowledge dispersal. By the mid-17th century, London for example had over three hundred coffee shops. These shops each had unique customers, which generally shared common interests. One shop might be best suited for business owners, while others were best for merchants or artists. Some of these coffee shops became known as Penny Universities. They became called this because of their platform for dispersing knowledge and information. For the price of a penny, rather than a coffee, customers could congregate inside of these coffee shops and gain vast amounts of knowledge on many different subjects. For those aspiring virtuosi of lesser means, however, who could not afford to go on grand tours or amass great collections in their country houses, the coffeehouses opened up a hitherto restricted or severely regulated world of information and social access.1

Cowan, Brian. The Social Life of Coffee: the emergence of the British coffeehouse. (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2005), 112.

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There were many other businesses which grew from these coffee shops as well. One example of such is Edward Lloyds coffee shop, which later developed into Lloyds of London. Lloyds of London exists as a marketplace for businesses to buy insurance. As a coffee shop, there were many business owners who spent time at Edward Lloyds coffee shop in London and they each shared a need for insurance that was unique to their individual business needs. Beginning as a place for people to speak casually about insurance options for their business, it became a well structured insurance market for people around the world in almost any type of business. Literature Review: Is coffee a social drug? Coffee, or Coffea Arabica as it is in Latin, is a plant with stimulant effects. It is also used as part of several over the counter and prescription drugs. It is mildly addictive, and can have ill effects if consumed in high amounts or over an extended period of time. How has coffee influenced modernity? In the Western world, especially the United States, it seems that the consumption of coffee is linked with productivity. The increase in coffee consumption over the past few centuries seems to be related to the increase in the commonality of the 9 to 5 workday. The popularization of the coffee break also increased coffee consumption in the West. Conclusion:

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7, 2013 9:04 AM Continue literature review with talking about how coffee shops have evolved into the modern world. 10/29/13 9:46 AM
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7, 2013 9:04 AM Possibly go from history to modern life of coffee shops and then go into what coffee is and how it affects people. 10/29/13 9:46 AM
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7, 2013 9:04 AM Before Conclusion, add enter the conversation. Put your observations in maybe, talk about your amount of coffee intake and your experiences with coffee shops.

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Coffee spread around the world in only a century and by the 18th century, it had become one of the most valuable exports available. There were entire economies built from the coffee bean. Coffee shops have become not only a great social environment, but also have become representations of the culture in that particular area. Every coffee shop has its own unique flavor. 10/29/13 9:46 AM
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If you want to experience the local culture of the place you are visiting, visit a coffee shop.

7, 2013 9:04 AM Make sure to add about the areas of possible research.

Sources: Cowan, Brian. The Social Life of Coffee: the Emergence of the British Coffeehouse. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005. Kiple, Kenneth, and Kriemhild Ornelas. The Cambridge World History of Food: Volume I. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

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Pendergrast, Mark. Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World. New York, New York: Basic Books, 1999. Scientific American. The Culture of Coffee Drinkers. Scientific American Blogs. Last Modified August 11, 2011. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/ anthropology-in-practice/2011/08/11/the-culture-of-coffee-drinkers/ Lloyds. Corporate History. http://www.lloyds.com/lloyds/about-us/history USDA Forest Service. Coffea arabica L. Rubiaceae. Last Modified 2007. http://www.fs.fed.us/ global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Coffea%20arabica.pdf#search=%22%22Coffea%20Arabica%22%20native %22

http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=68

http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts