Sentidos do café: signos em trânsito no mundo do consumo

Abstract

This study addresses the meanings associated with coffee in contemporary Brazilian society. There are many technical studies related to coffee but they are about aspects like physical-chemical aspects, production, marketing, sensory characteristics or biomedical attributes, for example, in line with the fact that it is a product of great relevance in the world economy, with Brazil the largest producer and largest exporter of the grain in the world, in addition to being positioned as the second largest consumer of the drink. Conversely, there are few studies situated in the order of subjectivities, in particular, reflections on classifications when seen as discursive strategies permeated by symbolic disputes and the production of social distinction in social relations involving coffee in the country. Faced with such a gap and considering the contemporary hyperconsumption scenario, the general objective of this study is to understand the meanings of coffee in Brazilian society and as specific objectives are (1) the problematization of the classifications attributed to coffee and (2) the discussion of discursive strategies present in the social game crossed by symbolic disputes and social distinction around coffee in the hyperconsumption society. The methodology adopted defines as an empirical cut the set of packaging for Melitta coffee product lines today. On this material, Foucauldian discourse analysis will be developed.