Exploring Coffee Culture: An Analysis of Popular Culture Elements

This essay explores the cultural significance of coffee, particularly within the Canadian context, arguing that it has evolved from a simple beverage into a cultural artifact representing Canadian identity and social relations. The author reflects on their personal connection to coffee, highlighting its role in daily routines and social bonding, and positions it as a symbol distinguishing native Canadians from immigrants. The essay further discusses how coffee consumption reinforces social power dynamics, embodies Canadian values, and acts as a social currency. Ultimately, the analysis emphasizes coffee's deep integration into the Canadian lifestyle, making it a powerful representation of the nation's popular culture and traditions. Desklib provides students access to similar essays and study resources.

POPULAR CULTURE AND ITS ELEMENTS
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The aim of this essay is to analyze the popular cultural object of coffee and also the
manner in which it relates to me in the broader social and cultural background from which I hail.
Szeman and O'Brien (2017) are of the viewpoint that the different objects or artifacts which are
being commonly used by the different members of a community becomes integrated within the
cultural framework of the concerned community culture and also becomes a representative of the
same. This is perhaps one of the major reasons why the object, namely, coffee, in the recent
times had come to denote the western culture, particularly that of the nations of Canada, USA
and others (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017). The net result of this is the fact coffee is not only being
consumed in an extensive manner by the people of Canada but also had become an essential
element of their national culture itself. More importantly, it is seen that coffee had become a
favorite beverage of the Canadians and they generally like to bond over coffee. Furthermore, it is
seen that all social events of these people, whether it be the happy ones or the sadder ones are
being accompanied by coffee which itself had become symbolical of their national culture as
well as their way of life in the present times.
I would like to say that the cultural object of coffee is not only an integral part of my
lifestyle but also an important part of my cultural identity as well. For example, I cannot start my
day without having a sip of coffee and also I like to bond with my friends and other people over
a cup of coffee. More importantly, I personally believe that in the nation of Canada, coffee had
become a kind of social currency which distinguishes the native Canadians from the other people

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who had migrated into the concerned nation. Furthermore, I believe that rather than just being a
daily consumable product, coffee had become more than just a beverage in my life and as a
matter of fact hold a symbolical place in my life itself. In this regard, I would like to say that the
product, coffee had become a symbolical representation of my way of life and also the socio-
cultural background to which I belong. For example, the majority of the native Canadians that I
know consume coffee on a regular basis and I would say that more than the taste of the
concerned drink the idea that it is an important element of my culture propels me to consume it
on a regular basis. On the basis of these facts, I would like to say that the product coffee not only
offers insightful information regarding me but at the same time the culture to which I belong or
hail from.
The consumption of coffee forms an essential element of the social relations of power
within the societal framework of the nation of Canada. In this regard, it needs to be said that the
consumption of coffee is often seen as a ‘way of life’ specific to the native Canadian people and
the people who do not consume it are often considered to be alien to the native Canadian culture
(Szeman & O'Brien, 2017). This is important because of the fact that often it is seen that men
and women all alike consume it on a regular basis and therefore it often acts as a symbol of
citizenship within the societal framework of the nation under discussion here. More importantly,
I personally believe that the consumption of coffee not only forms an integral part of the
Canadian culture but at the same time is considered to coterminous with the entire national
culture of Canada itself and the majority of the western nations. Moreover, it is seen that the
product under discussion here in ingrained into the physical as well as the economic framework
of the nation of Canada and had become a part of its popular itself (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017).
This is perhaps one of the major reasons why regardless of the city or the region in which in an

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individual resides in the nation of Canada he or she had access to the concerned product by
virtue of it being an integral part of the popular culture of the nation. On the score of these, it can
be said that the concerned product is a representative of the popular culture of the concerned
nation and also represents the social relations of power of the Canadian society in a succinct
manner.
The product coffee and its extensive consumption by the Canadians is in synchronicity
with the social relations of power within the societal framework of the concerned nation. For
example, the widespread consumption of coffee reinforces the social relationships and as a
matter of fact the way of life led by the people of Canada. In this regard, it needs to be said that
the manner in which the product coffee is being consumed by the people at all occasions whether
it be the happier ones or the sadder ones and also as a way to bond with people clear indicates the
liberal culture that is being followed within the concerned nation (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017).
More importantly, it is seen that the product under discussion here is deeply ingrained within the
societal values as well as cultural traditions of the nation of Canada and people from all
economic or social background generally like to indulge in a sip of coffee on a regular basis.
This as a matter of fact forms the major demarcation between the native Canadians and other
non-Canadians who had migrated from the other nations into the concerned nation. In addition to
this, the manner in which the concerned product is being seen as a social currency or a natural
form of citizenship is another factor which reinforces the societal relations of power within the
society of the concerned nation (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017). Thus, it can be said that rather than
acting as some kind of beverage which the people of Canada consume on a regular basis coffee
is something which is deeply ingrained within the national culture of the nation under discussion
here and also forms an important part of their way of life itself.

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The product, coffee rather than just being a simple beverage widely consumed by the
people has become a cultural artifact which in the present times had come to represent the entire
culture of Canada and its people as well. This is important because of the fact that the
consumption of coffee clearly indicates the lifestyle that the Canadians like to lead and also their
daily routine patterns that they follow in their everyday life. More importantly, the regular
consumption of the concerned beverage and also the manner in which it forms an integral part of
all occasions of their lives in a succinct manner represents the cultural traditions of the people of
the concerned nation (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017). In addition to these, the manner in which the
concerned beverage is being used by the people of the nation to bond socially with their friends
and family members also speaks volumes regarding the lifestyle of the people of the nation under
discussion. This is important because of the fact that it offers an idea to the outsiders and other
nations regarding the national culture and also the way of life of the common people of Canada
and also indirectly hints the practices that they need to follow to get integrated or assimilated
within the societal framework of the nation of Canada (Szeman & O'Brien, 2017). Thus, it can be
said that coffee over the years had become an important cultural artifact within the nation of
Canada and also had become symbolical of its national culture itself.

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Bibliography
Szeman, I., & O'Brien, S. (2017). Popular culture: a user's guide. John Wiley & Sons.