Theme (narrative)

About: Theme (narrative) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 13050 publications have been published within this topic receiving 159511 citations. The topic is also known as: narrative theme.

"Third-Wave" Coffeehouses as Venues for Sociality: On Encounters between Employees and Customers

Abstract: Contemporary social life is often depicted, in and out of the social sciences, as an ever-worsening subterfuge of alienation, ennui, and the systematic destruction of traditional, human-scaled, publicly-accessible, "organic" sociality that people once enjoyed In this paper I do not contend that these trends in our social and commercial landscape are not happening I will instead contend that conventional face-to-face sociability thrives even in the face of the loss of many traditional public meeting places My focus in this piece is on social interaction in independent cafes that are known, and that self-identify, as what coffee connoisseurs term "third-wave" coffeehouses Deploying the analytic perspective of ethnomethodology, which prioritizes and problematizes the observed and reported lived experiences of research subjects, I argue not only that "authentic" sociality flourishes in these spaces but I also consider the role of shop employees-baristas-in them and uncover their perceptions concerning social interaction between themselves and customers As such I not only question prevailing understandings about the "death" of traditional sociability but also add to past research on the coffeehouse as social form by problematizing, for the first time, the work world of the baristas and their interactions with customers Keywords: Space, Sociability, Coffee, Culture, Ethnomethodology, Qualitative InterviewingThere are many places-in books, social scientific research articles, weblogs, and artistic products such as films and stage plays-to uncover perceptions that bemoan and disparage contemporary social life as an ever-worsening subterfuge of alienation, ennui, and the systematic destruction of traditional, Gemeinschaft-based, human-scaled, publicly-accessible "organic" sociality that people once enjoyed This criticism contends that traditional sites for social interaction, such as village squares, high streets, public parks, traditional downtowns, and cafes, are disappearing, and that people are increasingly remanded to spaces that are privately owned and commodified; these are milieus such as shopping malls, "power centres," chain restaurants, and theme parks Worse, runs this critique, social interaction increasingly occurs in "virtual" space, a trend that further impels people away from traditional sociability and, ultimately, away from one another entirely "Community," according to this postmodern analysis, is dead; "Disneyization," suburban sprawl and the Internet are among the culpritsThis paper does not contend that these trends in our social and commercial landscape are not happening It will instead contend that conventional face-to-face sociability thrives even in the face of the loss of many of the traditional public meeting places The focus of this piece is on social interaction in independent cafes that are known, and that self-identify, as what coffee connoisseurs term "third-wave" coffeehouses This article contends not only "authentic" sociality flourishes in these spaces but considers the role of shop employees-baristas-in them and uncovers their perceptions concerning social interaction between themselves and customers As such this article not only questions prevailing understandings about the "death" of traditional sociability but also adds to past research on the coffeehouse as social form by problematizing, for the first time, the work world of the baristas and their interactions with customersContext: Space, "Third Places," and CoffeeContemporary Space and "Public" Culture in North AmericaShopping malls are the most notable postmodern pseudo-public spaces, and authors such as Gottdiener (2000, 2001) argue that malls entail the commodification of "public" space and, whereas traditional public spaces exist to support every sort of social behaviour, malls exist only to promote consumption, a fact that Abaza (2001) charges has further marginalized the poor, who might have been, and felt, welcome in settings that were not as frankly organized around commerce or that did not entail expensive entrance fees as do theme parks …

Anísio Teixeira: a poesia da ação

Abstract: The opening conference of the twentieth third annual meeting of ANPEd had as a central theme "Education is not a Privilege: the centennial of Anisio Teixeira”. Honouring this Brazilian educator, the conference remembered his life performance under three breaking points located in time at the end of the twenties, in 1935 and in 1964. Under the light of his career, the evaluation of his work makes us think about the contemporary problems of education in our society especially the globalization of economy, the institutional violence and the challenges of the educational research.

Focus on Prevention

Abstract: What we are discussing is the notion of prevention as directed toward families. The idea is to prevent the break-up of families in our community which is costly both in economic and social terms … but, as I hope to demonstrate, there is more to it than that. Let me also say that the notion of prevention, both in theoretical and conceptual terms as well as in applied, practical terms is nothing new, it has been around for a long time. At the turn of the last century it became a popular theme with the advocates for an expanded role for local government in the U.K.; the work of Sydney and Beatrice Webb, in particular, made a substantial and important contribution there.

VICTORIAN PEOPLE - A Reassessment of Persons and Themes 1851 - 1867

Abstract: This text looks at the people, ideas and events between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Second Reform Act of 1867. From "John Arthur Roebuck and the Crimean War," and "Samuel Smiles and the Gospel of Work" to "Thomas Hughes and the Public Schools" and "Benjanmin Disraeli and the Leap in the Dark," Asa Briggs provides an assessment of Victorian achievements; and in doing so conjures up an enviable picture of the progress and independence of the last century. "For expounding this theme, this interaction of event and personality, Mr. Briggs is abundantly and happily endowed. He is always readable, often amusing, never facetious. He is widely read and widely interested. He has a sound historic judgment, and an unfailing sense for what is significant in the historic sequence and what is merely topical. . . . Above all, he is in sympathy with the age of which he is writing." "Times Literary Supplement""