Comparative Analysis of 17th Century London Coffeehouses and Modern Golf Clubs as Social Institutions
Overview
This essay compares 17th century London coffeehouses to modern golf clubs as analogous social spaces. The author argues that while both institutions serve as exclusive gathering places for political discussion and business dealings, they differ significantly in their intellectual culture, beverage offerings, and gender composition.
What this essay covers
- Introduction establishing the coffeehouse-golf club analogy
- Similarities between institutions: membership structures and social functions
- Differences: intellectual discourse, alcohol sales, and gender participation
Preview
The Lost World of the London Coffeehouse
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The Lost World of the London Coffeehouse
The place that I would liken the 17th century Coffee House in today's society is golf clubs. One can find two similarities in today's golf clubs and the 17th-century coffee house. The first similarity is the way that golf courses are structured. There are additional payments for members, which determines the kind of people who go to those facilities. High-end golf clubs charge higher fees, which few individuals can afford. As a result, the golf club has a select group of people from the wealthy class that frequent the facility. The coffee house of the 17th century was also situated in different neighborhoods, which determined the kind of people that went to those places (Green, 2013). The other similarity between the 17th-century coffee house and golf clubs in today's society is that people go to these places to discuss politics and make business deals.
The main difference between the two places is that there is little intellectual talk in golf clubs. People discuss all manner of things in those places. However, the coffee houses of the 17th century catered for politicians, the commoner, and intellectuals (Green, 2013). The other difference is that there was no alcohol sold in the 17th-century coffee house. However, all kinds of beverages are sold in golf clubs, and people drink what they prefer.