This document discusses "phatic coffee", which is using coffee as a social tool to begin casual conversations and establish social contact. It defines phatic communication as meaningless small talk used to maintain social relationships rather than exchange information. Coffee is well-suited for phatic conversations because it is a universal, unmarked social drink that does not have strong cultural associations or imply intimacy like alcohol. Drinking coffee with someone allows interaction without commitments. The document concludes that coffee is ideal for breaking social barriers because of its neutral, global status as a casual drinking.

1. THE PHATIC
COFFEE
Borislav Gueorguiev (NBU)
EFSS 2013

2. Types of basic coffee drinks
Turkish/Greek Coffee

3. Types of basic coffee drinks
Espresso Coffee

4. Types of basic coffee drinks
Scwarz Cafe/Coffee filter/American Coffee

5. 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=OtMnRgvXL
YI&feature=youtu.be

6. Coffee – the magic drink!

7. The Result…

8. 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.

9. 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 Conversation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4_1BH6K
uc

10. 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"..

11. Back to phatic coffee
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMv0QQ
gBfm4

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Coffee mania
Thank you!