Understanding Café Culture: Toward a Dynamic and Holistic Research Framework

Abstract

ABSTRACTBased on a critical interpretive literature review, this article introduces a holistic and dynamic research framework for café culture analysis. Drawing on the constructivist view of culture and glocalization theories, we proposed a framework that highlights the impact of different cultural resources (i.e., values, norms, schemas, artifacts, and practices) on café culture development and the role of three dyads (brand-consumer, global-local, and historical-present) in the formation process. The framework underscores the dynamic and holistic nature of consumer culture research and emphasizes the cultural practices of different entities that collectively transfer the symbolic meanings embedded in the global cultural artifacts to the localized cultural reproductions. We hope to extend the discussions of café culture and, more generally, global products to a broader context.