Virginia Tech
    • Log in
    View Item 
    •   VTechWorks Home
    • ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Doctoral Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   VTechWorks Home
    • ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Doctoral Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Social Capital and the U.S. Coffee Consumer

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Smith_ES_D_2016.pdf (742.9Kb)
    Downloads: 197
    Date
    2016-07-08
    Author
    Smith, Eleanor Seidman
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    What consciousness (awareness) do Northern Fair Trade coffee consumers have of Southern coffee producers and how do networks and social capital among consumers and Fair Trade promoters shape this consciousness? This study sought to answer these questions, based on a data analysis of semi-structured interviews of 20 coffee consumers, roasters, distributors, café owners, and baristas in Long Island, New York, augmented with documents from some key organizations in the Fair Trade (FT) coffee supply chain. This study is important because a conscious (aware) consumer of Fair Trade coffee products has the potential to make a substantial difference in the quality of life of the Global Southern coffee producer. Additionally, social capital concepts can help us better understand how this consciousness of FT coffee operates. Analyzing this data has shed light on the conscious coffee consumers' attitudes towards FT products, and FT coffee in Long Island specifically. Finally, this study has led me to a new and important research question that future research might address: how does the process of active participation in a FT-related social movement enable a coffee consumer to become more conscious of their connection to Global South's coffee producers? To explore this link further, an analysis of interviewees with a sample restricted to such movement participants -perhaps in a larger city - would be needed.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10919/73669
    Collections
    • Doctoral Dissertations [15771]

    If you believe that any material in VTechWorks should be removed, please see our policy and procedure for Requesting that Material be Amended or Removed. All takedown requests will be promptly acknowledged and investigated.

    Virginia Tech | University Libraries | Contact Us
     

     

    VTechWorks

    AboutPoliciesHelp

    Browse

    All of VTechWorksCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Log inRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    If you believe that any material in VTechWorks should be removed, please see our policy and procedure for Requesting that Material be Amended or Removed. All takedown requests will be promptly acknowledged and investigated.

    Virginia Tech | University Libraries | Contact Us