Sociology Essay

Caribou Coffee: A Place for Socialization and Coffee

    As I entered the newly constructed building for my observation, the aroma drew me in; fresh coffee was brewing behind the register and the sacchariferous bagels appealed to my senses. On first glance, this corporate coffee shop operated by two major companies - Einstein Bagels and Caribou Coffee - may not have appealed to deeply hometown rooted consumers in Buffalo, Minnesota, but the energy and quantity of its customers was overwhelming. Accommodating studious teenagers, families coming from church, and couples on coffee dates, this location drew attention and money from individuals across various backgrounds and encouraged socialization between individuals with varying cultural scripts.

    Initially, the atmosphere of the congested room made it difficult to hear direct verbal communication between cohorts. Loud music overpowered the voices of the individuals around me, but it livened the uncharacteristically warm morning. Acting as the others had, I walked to the register, said a timely “Hello,” and asked for “one small flavored drip brew, please.” The cashier knew her role in comparison to mine and served me my coffee and gestured towards her tip jar - a sign that I should toss my spare change into it. After receiving my coffee from the pickup location, I ventured for a perfect spot to observe from; the corner two-person table with an electric outlet.

    As soon as I sat down, a tumultuous family composed of two adolescent boys, one adolescent girl, and their mother entered. Individually they placed their order and gathered around a table as their mother paid for their beverages. This same occasion occurred consistently; families would approach the cashier and the eldest member of the group would sacrifice their earnings for the rest of them. Because of this consistency, it was obvious to me that regardless of age or gender, this was a norm in the community. Each member of this group knew their cultural script through their shared interpretation and meaning they associated with their parent, subsequently behaving towards and expecting predetermined conditions.

    Aside from method of payment, social interaction, composure, and presentation of individuals played a key role in both verbal and nonverbal interactions. At one point, two individuals sitting nearby me interacted in a way that made it apparent without physical touch or even audible conversation that they were each other's significant other, a specific form of a dyad relationship. The woman hunched over the table occasionally scooting her arms closer to the man’s. Often times, there was chuckling between the two, not a wholesome laugh, but a brief and subtle one. They maintained eye-contact throughout their interaction - another norm recognizable through its repetitive occurrence. Eventually the man looked at his phone and their connection became limited. After about five minutes they stood up, left their plates on the table, pushed in their chairs, and left the building.

    In the meantime, a father and daughter duo entered and proceeded to order their food; however, this order was different. After ordering his own food, the man ordered for his daughter. Similarly to the other groups, he paid the bill, but instead of looking pleased or grateful for the gesture, the teenage daughter, sporting purple hair, looked furious with her father. She rolled her eyes at him then suggested “I’m never [...] happy.” Her father shrugged, rolled his eyes, and stood over the young girl who sat down at the first table she saw. He waited near the pickup table and sat down once his order had been called. After a few minutes of complete silence between the two, the man suggested something. She responded by raising the pitch of her voice which asserted her annoyance. Then she shook her head and looked down into her warm bagel. After this conversation, the two did not speak to each other until after they left. Strangely, they were able to communicate they were leaving without any verbal cues. Alike the couple, they stood up, threw away their garbage, and departed.

Next, a triad walked through the entrance. A father figure limped inside carrying his near three year old daughter at his hip and holding the hand of his other daughter who looked to be about eight. After a moment of studying the menu, he placed an order for himself and his youngest daughter. There was a pause in the conversation to which he looked at the eight year old and suggested “and for you?” She looked at the cashier and placed her order. This interaction is an example of the parenting style Annette Lareau referred to as concerted cultivation. The father could have more simply and time effectively ordered for his daughter, but to encourage her to grow as an individual and develop self-advocacy skills, he asked her to order by herself.

Interactions differed between each father-daughter relationship because the young girls were socialized into society differently, which modified their expected behaviors. These differences changed the way they interacted with their father and likely other figures of authority as well. The eight year old girl was expected to fend for herself and act with respect towards her father. In comparison, the older girl acted rebellious against her father. His attempts to convene with the young adult were brushed aside and overturned. The relationships functioned with alternative sets of expectations as a result of their different modes of socialization.

Interactions that breach the norm can hold effective relationships, but they may be criticized by the in-group. During this observation, one male and one female twenty-something with a child attached to the hip of the mother gathered at the register. Together the triad ordered their meal and sat down at the table. Immediately the man wearing old looking jeans, a disheveled ball cap, and a worn sweatshirt rescaled his receipt to ensure that he had not paid too much for his food. He budged the line to order and asked the cashier if “this was right?” to which she replied “nope, that’s right.” Customers in line looked alarmed and appalled when he budged through the line. This was not only a breach of the social norm for the location, but it could also point towards a socio-economic divide caused by his behavior, his attire, and his concern over a small bill.

Shortly after his conversation with the cashier, the man returned to his table with the group. The woman was smiling, but her eyes and presentation told a different story. The relationship between the mother and father seemed to only exist because of the daughter. Conversation consisted of asking questions to the little girl and little deep conversation between any of them. This suggests that the child mediated the relationship between the adults and that without her presence, their relationship would likely not exist.

Einstein Bagels and Caribou Coffee in Buffalo, Minnesota boasts a vibrant social sanctuary. Although there was little racial diversity, various economic statuses were present as well as various sized groups. Each customer knew their role precisely and they followed the cultural scripts they were socialized with; they ordered their food, paid or allowed their parents to pay, waited at the pick up counter, took a seat, interacted with their group according to their socialization, and threw away their garbage as they were exiting. Because of this social order, the interactions that took place here were meaningful to those involved and their intentions were made clear through tone of voice, physical presentation, and verbal communication.