The Coffee House Alternative

The bleary eyed worker of the twenty first century reaches their work destination. They merely nod to their co-workers as they dump their bags unglamorously on their work desks. They then, zombie like walk towards the glorious 'light at the end of the tunnel'- coffee pot,that gives this tired soul renewed energy to start the work day. This rejuvenation process creates a freshness that no other spiritual ritual, that early in the morning could possibly provide...

Stig Hjarvard presents the idea of religious mediatization, he states, 'that their is a clear correlation between the modernization of society and the decline in religious behaviour and beliefs,' [Hjarvard, 2008, Pp.10].  The idea now that the simple act of our morning coffee, an action that is repeated in workplaces all around Australia each morning, could have superseded  that of morning mass or benediction, as our morning ritual is not too hard to believe. In an ever increasing secular society, individuals search for personal truths, which are increasingly influenced by mass media. The idea of "the coffee house alternative" in place of structured religious gatherings is a completely plausible ideology.

The idea that media now frames religious themes in a way that blurs traditional understanding of religious practice, changes how the individual views their daily cup of coffee.  Our individual commercial needs so influenced by society, tells us that to fit in we must join with what is made popular by the masses. The common phrase, "lets meet for a coffee" when arranging a catch up with friends, may not even mean coffee, but the meaning behind it is clear. This social construct, framed by media in such popular television shows as 'Friends' where cast members socialise in a café setting,  provides society with guidelines on how to interact with each other in social situations. This 'coffee catch up' similar to our 'morning cuppa' has then become the ritual to which our lives our now attuned.

Hjarvard discusses this idea by suggesting that, "rituals, worship, mourning and celebration are all social activities that used to belong to institutionalized religion...," [Hjarvard, 2008, Pp10]. The question then has to be asked, what other rituals that we perform daily, are a direct product of mediatization?

Referenced work:

Hjarvard. Stig. 2008. The Mediatization of Religion: A Theory of the Media as Agents of Religious Change. Northern Lights. 6(1).