By Emma Kates-Shaw & Allie Drabinsky
"I really like the atmosphere, and the way that you can come, grab a coffee and sit for hours at a time surrounded by people, and the noise is really comforting." - Coffeehouse goer
Watch the Video.
Background to the Project: Talking Over a Good Cuppa.
Together, we worked in our sociolinguistics course this semester to investigate the meaning of "atmosphere" in the coffeehouse Hobbs, which is located just off of Swarthmore's college campus. This video project began with a few hours spent talking over coffee, discussing with one another what stood out to us as linguistic markers in the space.
Charting a Coffeehouse's Atmosphere.
The more time we spent at the coffee shop, the more we began to take note of loud, animated conversation and music. We observed how people seemed to be spending a lot of time there, rather than just ordering and departing right away. There seemed to be difference in the way that staff interacted with customers they regarded as "regulars" and "first-timers." Together, we determined this was because of the atmosphere in the space, and we set out to interview the owner and a few customers to learn more. Ultimately, we discovered that the atmosphere was both curated and intentional.
Music is a strong contributing element to the customer experience at the coffee shop, which both Bill (the owner) and Kevin (a Swarthmore resident and regular coffee consumer) highlighted in their conversations with us. Reflecting on this, we decided that the curation of music and sound in our video project would also be of particular importance. In this completed project we feel as if we've given the atmosphere of Hobbs justice, by incorporating not just the comments of our participating interviewees, but also examples of the music and chatter heard in Hobbs coffee shop. We are grateful to have had this experience to work with each other, and to engage more fully with this fascinating and beloved gathering place!
Music is a strong contributing element to the customer experience at the coffee shop, which both Bill (the owner) and Kevin (a Swarthmore resident and regular coffee consumer) highlighted in their conversations with us. Reflecting on this, we decided that the curation of music and sound in our video project would also be of particular importance. In this completed project we feel as if we've given the atmosphere of Hobbs justice, by incorporating not just the comments of our participating interviewees, but also examples of the music and chatter heard in Hobbs coffee shop. We are grateful to have had this experience to work with each other, and to engage more fully with this fascinating and beloved gathering place!
About the Authors.
Emma Kates-Shaw is a Swarthmore senior Sociology/Anthropology and Studio Art double major, from Ossining, NY. Her interests include art, theater, singing, and good conversations.
Allie Drabinsky is a senior UPenn Sociology major from Los Angeles who enjoys dance, and great coffee and music.
Allie Drabinsky is a senior UPenn Sociology major from Los Angeles who enjoys dance, and great coffee and music.
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