Ethnography of Starbucks Essay - 1647 Words

The Status of Starbucks 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 â€Å"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? The City of Independence has approximately 7,000 residents. The City is a hub for business, the majority of which are primarily based on Rockside Road. There are a variety of†¦show more content†¦I found that the majority of the clientele appeared to be middle or upper class individuals. It became apparent that Starbucks appealed to people of a certain socioeconomic status through their thoughtful use of products, language, dà ©cor, and location. Socioeconomic status (SES) is defined as â€Å"an individual’s position in a stratified social order,† meaning upper middle, or lower class. SES is primarily determined by income. The remainder of this paper will look at the different ways that Starbucks caters to the more privileged. First, Starbucks products are clearly designed for those with a disposable income. Realistically, who would spend almost three dollars for a small cup of coffee when you can get a jumbo coffee for .99 cents at a gas station? One reason could be quality. Starbucks claims to use high-quality whole bean coffee and sells them in a traditionally European style. But the products are not limited to coffee. Starbucks also offered a full array of organic drinks, socially conscious products, outrageously priced coffee mugs—some of which are plastic versions that prominently display their logo, and music downloads. There were two available downloads that I observed. One was a new release by a famous artist. The other was a new release by an â€Å"undiscovered† new group. Similar to the music, my observations revealed that the Starbucks patrons primarily fit into two categories. The first were businessmen and women, who enteredShow MoreRelatedStarbucksUbiquity And Personal Relevanc e Of Starbucks Ethnography1749 Words   |  7 PagesI chose the Starbucks Ethnography due to Starbucks’ ubiquity and personal relevance. Every age group knows about Starbucks, from young students in elementary school to retired seniors that are spending their days relaxing. At the place I work, a fourth grader brought a drink in. That someone so young is already drinking a Frappuccino speaks to how far Starbucks’ influence has pervaded society and strongly influenced my decision to write it. Symbolic anthropology, defined as, understanding â€Å"a cultureRead MoreCoffee House Ethnography : Starbucks On Grand Avenue, New York Near Elmhurst1163 Words   |  5 PagesMarinella Mallare Professor DeLeon Anthropology 101 27 March 2016 Coffee House Ethnography My observations of human behavior were made at Starbucks on Grand avenue, New York near Elmhurst. I chose this location due to the high customer traffic that it sees. Since it is a popular coffee shop, the customer base cuts across different multicultural sector of the population. There is a lot of variety in the backgrounds and personalities of the people visiting the shop. This quality makes any patternsRead MoreCultural Scene: Buying Coffee at the Starbucks Coffee Shop974 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Cultural Scene: Buying coffee at the Starbucks Coffee Shop Societies in the history of humanity have always been defined by the kind of culture they have developed and cultivated. Culture is considered to be the set of values, beliefs, traditional systems, and even artifacts produced by a specific group of people in a specific time or period. These values, beliefs, traditional systems, and artifacts determine the nature and dynamics of the community or society that collectively created or producedRead MoreThe Culture within Starbucks: A Reflection of Human Interaction 1716 Words   |  7 Pagesspecifically Starbucks, have increasingly become an essential part of many people’s daily life. So I was interested in how the culture within Starbucks is a reflection of natural human interaction. I chose to observe the environment and interaction of people within a suburban neighborhood Starbucks for one hour. Methodology Most ethnography is done using inductive methodology, also known as grounded theory, meaning that the theory will arise out of the collected data. I did not go in to the Starbucks withRead MoreDescriptive Essay - Original Writing Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pagesresidence Piedmont North A; I headed to Starbucks. From the speed of the wind to the coolness of the air, I could tell that the season of Fall was finally beginning. The falling leaves of the trees were starting to leave a trail, and as I was beginning to approach the establishment, the aroma of coffee beans was lingering in the air. The store was surrounded by trees out in what I call the â€Å"courtyard.† The â€Å"courtyard† was the area outside of the Starbucks where the commuters could congregate. TheRead MoreCoffee Analysis : Coffee House Ethnography1877 Words   |  8 PagesCoffee House Ethnography Anth-101 Winter 2017 Sijia Wang Introduction The National Coffee Association found that the average coffee consumption in the United States is 2.96 cups of coffee per day in 2016 (NCA Coffee Drinking Trends Survey, 2016). According to the report, daily consumption of espresso-based beverages has nearly tripled since 2008 (NCA Coffee Drinking Trends Survey, 2016). Therefore, people hang out mostly in coffee shops, where they can enjoy their time with a fresh coffee. IndeedRead MoreBeyond Awareness : Preparing Culturally Responsive1662 Words   |  7 Pagesterm paper, â€Å"videotapes of students’ discussion of their participation in the program† (Lenski et. al., 2005) and their â€Å"exit conversation with eight students† (Lenski et. al., 2005). For example, in one of the teacher’s final paper she states â€Å"ethnography is describing someone’s culture. It is to understand life from a different point of view† (Lenski et. al., 2005). Another teacher named Kelly said that if she got a jo b in an unfamiliar environment she would â€Å"spend time in the community before theRead MoreThe Basic Idea Of Marketing949 Words   |  4 PagesCognitive Mental process Information Processing Model Individual self-reporting technique Behavioral Modify behavior Respondent conditioning Observing the customers Cultural Understand context Consumer cultural theory Ethnography All the case studies discussed in this course. Hanes, Coke, Starbucks and Google, encompass all of the above. None following a single paradigm or strategy that helped them evolve from a brand to an icon. They all resonated with the mood of the user; their ideas got passed on thusRead MoreA Proposal for Starbucks Marketing Changes2812 Words   |  11 Pagesï » ¿July 26, 2012 Mr. Howard Schultz C.E.O. Starbucks Coffee Company 2401 Utah Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134 RE: Starbucks Marketing Changes Proposal Dear Howard: Currently, Starbucks is experiencing some serious difficulties in terms of executing its major strategies. Unfortunately, as we continue to push towards greater and greater expansion, it is clear that we are loosing some of our core customers. Many are becoming disillusioned with the idea of an overly corporate and diluted image ofRead MoreEthnography Study of Coffee House2553 Words   |  11 Pagesthe attempt of this organisation to create a coffee culture in TT. This evaluation will then inform the argument of hybridization by demonstrating how cultures exchange elements with each other thereby creating new, hybrid identities. An ethnography study was conducted at Rituals Coffee House (Rituals) located in the city of San Fernando in TT. The study was conducted between 12:00-1:30pm. Interviews were conducted on five customers to gauge how often they drank coffee and whether they believed