Intercultural Communications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intercultural Communications - Research Paper Example From the day of its discovery until today, coffee has been a part of many nations’ customs and occasions. With a considerable market share, coffee, regardless of its kind, proves to be an interesting part of every culture, and that is why it is an important subject of research in the field of social studies. Tracing back the roots of coffee culture leads to rediscovering history, particularly how customs and traditions have evolved with the presence of the famous beverage. Coffee  is one of the most popular beverages in the world (Villanueva et al. 20-40). It would be difficult to find a restaurant, hotel, or any place that is not serving coffee. The popularity of coffee makes it an important part of human culture. Likewise, people cannot easily ignore its popularity due to its marketability and health benefits. A brief background of coffee, its origin and evolution is beneficial to know how it has become a part of human culture. Coffee is sourced from roasted  seeds of th e  coffee plant commonly known as coffee beans. The earliest trace of coffee dates back to the ninth century A.D. in southern Arabia (Weinberg and Bealer 75). Then from Ethiopia, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, then to Persia, Northern Africa, Turkey, and Armania, then to Italy and the rest of Europe; to Indonesia; and to the Americas (Meyers). Aside from being a part of many households’ breakfast, coffee has taken part in important historical occasions. For instance, it was employed in religious ceremonies in Africa and Yemen. Likewise, coffee has attracted much global attention as it was banned in  Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century due to political reasons (Hopkins). Moreover, it was also implicated in revolutionary political activities in Europe (Hopkins). These incidents associated with coffee make it a controversial beverage, a really important part of human history and culture. As a commodity, coffee is one of the most important agricultural products in the world. Mo re than 80 countries cultivate coffee (â€Å"Coffee Drinking Culture†). Likewise, coffee was at the top of agricultural export for 12 countries in 2004 (FAO Statistical Yearbook, 24) and was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2006. To date, its production amounts to US$14 billion yearly (FAOSTAT Core Trade Data). The important role that coffee has played throughout history asserts the practice of drinking coffee as part of the universal culture. Due to its flavor, aroma, and energizing effects, coffee has become a popular beverage to complement home meals, and also serves as a socializing medium among people of different cultures. The role of coffee as a socializing medium may be referenced to the Les Deux Magots, a cafe formerly located in Rue de Buci in France. This cafe used to be the social hub of many literary writers in the 1900s. The place served as a venue for their meetings, literary sharing, and story telling. Indeed, in his book title d, â€Å"A Movable Feast† Ernest Hemingway (72), a world-acclaimed writer recalls his memories of Les Deux Magots as it used to be a rendezvous for all literary enthusiasts in the early 1900s. in Hemingway’s story, he and his friends used to go to Les Deux Magots for coffee before going home finally. Moreover, other literary authors such as Steve Matchett, Abha Dawesar, Vladimir Nabokov, and Craig Ferguson have their own reminiscences of the place in their own respective works. This shows not only the