THE PHATIC COFFEE

Borislav Gueorguiev (NBU)

EFSS 2013

Types of basic coffee drinks

Turkish/Greek Coffee

Types of basic coffee drinks

Espresso Coffee

Types of basic coffee drinks

Scwarz Cafe/Coffee filter/American Coffee

Phatic Coffee???

A social tool which helps us to begin a phatic conversation with someone in order to exchange later an information/emotions in a real conversation and/or to speak with someone for your own pleasure – le plaisir de la conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtMnRgvXLYI&feature=youtu.be

Coffee – the magic drink!

The Result…

What is ‘phatic’?

• Coined by the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski in 1920s;

• From the Greek phatos, "spoken”;• Formulistic talk or meaningless sounds, used

merely to establish an atmosphere or to establish or maintain social contact, rather than to communicate specific information or ideas.

What is ‘phatic’?

• Bronislaw Malinowski defined phatic communion "a type of speech in which ties of union are created by a mere exchange of words.“

A Phatic Conversationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4_1BH6Kuc

Phatic Function (Roman Jakobson)

Is language for the sake of interaction and is therefore associated with the contact factor. The phatic function can be observed in greetings and casual discussions of the weather, particularly with strangers. It also provides the keys to open, maintain, verify or close the communication channel: "Hello?", "Ok?", "Hummm", "Bye"..

Back to phatic coffee

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMv0QQgBfm4

Why coffee is the most useful tool to break the (social) distance with someone?

• Coffee (-) vs. Tea (+): tea is a marked drink for countries like GB, Russia, China, India etc.; coffee is more universal, it is the unmarked element in this opposition.

• Coffee (-) vs. Juice (+): very childish, non-serious; you treat the other person as a child;

• Coffee (-) vs. Alcohol (-): to invite somebody to drink together alcohol is a very intimate act. It supposes that both of you are very good friends or partners.

Conclusions

• Coffee is not marked in any ethnic, religious, gender, and political way.

• Coffee is the universal global drinking.• To drink coffee with someone doesn’t mean

anything: you just drink coffee without any engagement, without any duties and responsibilities.

Coffee mania

Thank you!