Caf Society [Paperback]

While tracing the historical emergence of the caf? as a social institution and noting its multiple faces and functions in the modernity of the occident, three themes run like threads of varying texture through the chapters: the social connectivity and inclusion of caf?s, caf? as surrogate office, and caf? as site of exchange for news and views.Introduction: The Sociology of the Caf? 1. The Caf? as a 'third place'; Ray Oldenburg 2. Heart of Urbanism. The Caf? - A Cultural History; Bodil Stenseth 3. The Theory of the Caf? Central and the Practice of the Caf? Peripheral: Aspirational and Abject Infrastructures of Sociability on the European Periphery; Paul Manning 4. Caf?s, Third Places and the Enabling Sector of Civil Society ; Graham Scambler 5. The Caf? Community; Ida Marie Henriksen, Tomas Moe Sk?lsvold, and Ingeborg Gr?nning 6. Communal Awareness in the Urban Caf?; Aksel Tjora 7. Becoming a Barista; Eric Laurier 8. Community and Social Interaction in the Wireless City: Wi-fi Use in Public and Semi-public Spaces; Keith N. Hampton and Neeti Gupta 9. Design for Solitude; Erling Dokk Holm 10. The City, the Caf? and the Public Realm in Australia; Peter Walters and Alex Broom

This is a remarkable work of cultural urban sociology with ramifications for the understanding of network sociability and public space in history and in contemporary society. A great scholarly contribution that is also a pleasure to read. - Manuel Castells, Professor Emeritus, City Planning, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Graham Scambler and Aksel Tjora have edited a collection of international contributions examining the importance of caf?s as 'third places,' or staging areas for social networks and social solidarity. Such 'third places' are so necessary that people will continue to create more of them, particularly in cities and in democratic societies - both of which are on the rise worldwide for the foreseeable future - and Caf? Society examines these placel³Ò