Critical Discourse Analysis: perspectives, stakeholders, ideologies

Analysis of a variety of texts

ANALYSIS: COFFEE
Read all of the following texts, so as to enable you to familiarize yourself with a range of discourses
concerning the production, sale and consumption of coffee.
Then, for the following text (Starbucks) conduct a brief discourse analysis followed by CDA analysis,
using the questions as guides.

Starbucks
Our Coffee
(1) Coffee is at the heart of Starbucks history. (2) Since 1971, our passion has been to excite
and inspire you to enjoy the finest quality coffee available. (3) Our commitment to this is the
same today and (4) we hope you share our passion as you begin to explore the world of
coffee. (5) Your adventure starts here...
(6) At Starbucks, we sample coffees from around the world more than 150,000 cups a year,
in fact. (7) We have to taste that many because we seek only the finest, richest and most
interesting beans. (8) Starbucks purchases only the finest, high altitude Arabica coffee beans
available as they have a more refined flavour and quality than the more common Robusta
beans.
(9) Building relationships with farmers has ensured our success in having access to the
highest quality coffee. (10) We search for those who will bring the same passion to growing,
harvesting and processing that Starbucks does to blending, roasting, packaging and brewing.
(11) Passion equals attention to detail at every step of the journey.
http://www.starbucks.co.th/en-US/_Worlds+Best+Coffee/

What is the text about generally? What is the purpose of the text?
Who is the text written for? Bearing this in mind, what is the intended effect?
What discourses are referenced in the text?
What perspective is it written from (e.g. producer, consumer, activist, doctor, parent?)
Analyze the choice of words in the text, i.e. connotations, loaded words, repetition
Conduct a process analysis of some key sentences in the text (participants, process, and
circumstances)
Who is/are the agents (participants) in the text? Who is activated and passivized?
Who is included/excluded?

Critical Discourse Analysis: perspectives, stakeholders, ideologies

Analysis of a variety of texts

9 Reasons to Stay Out of Starbucks

Posted By Sarah Irani On September 22, 2009
Starbucks: people either love em or loathe em. My husband likes their coffee and admires their
business brains. I, on the other hand, cant stand them for their homogenized, yuppie style. Having
grown up in grunge-era Seattle, once a land of artsy coffee shops crammed with kitschy sofas and local
color, cookie-cutter Starbucks look to me like a department store: void of soul and chock-full of useless
merchandise.
But how bad is Starbucks, really? I decided to find out.
1. Clean water is such a precious commodity in the world these days, but Starbucks didnt seem to
care. Their leave the tap running all day policy created an eco-scandal to the tune of 23 million litres
wasted every day. Less than a year later, theyre installing water-saving faucets which purport to
reduce water wastage by 150 gallons per day, per store. Note, they only changed their wasteful ways
after they got caught.
2. Although some people claim that having a Starbucks in the neighborhood is actually good for local
mom & pop cafes, the long-running belief is that Starbucks turns the uniquely local neighborhood vibe
into cookie-cutter corporatewell, crap. Perhaps its really just a matter of taste, but most of your
dollars spent at a Starbucks location will end up in the pockets of distant executives and not circulate
in your local economy.
3. Ever keen to new marketing strategies, Starbucks has decided to co-opt the unique neighborhood
vibe. What you think is your local indie cafe might actually be a Starbucks in disguise. To try and get
the business of economic locavores, Starbucks has sent out scouts to cop the look and feel of various
neighborhoods, then create a unique coffeeshop under a different name. Some might call this a
brilliant business strategy, but I think its pretty underhanded.
4. Then there was the Ethiopian coffee debacle. In 2006, the Ethiopian government attempted to
trademark regional coffees such as Sidamo and Harar because these specialty brews sell for up to $26
a pound, with only about $1 getting back to the Ethiopian coffee farmers. Starbucks, working through
the National Coffee Association, blocked Ethiopias trademark bid, helping ensure the continuation of
poverty in an already impoverished region.
5. Did you hear about the tip scandal? A former (and clearly disgruntled) Starbucks barista successfully
sued the corporation on behalf of all California baristas in a class action law suit. Starbucks was ordered
to pay $100 million to baristas to make up for tips that had been given to shift supervisors. It sounds
like the ultimate low blow, but there is a grey area here: although California law prohibits managers and
supervisors from receiving tips, Starbucks shift supervisors do help customers and make coffee.
Theyre paid much more than the baristas; do they also deserve a cut of the tips?
6. After years of customers haggling them for recycling bins, or at least recyclable cups, Starbucks has
finally launched a recycling pilot program. Puh-leasecoffee shops the world over have already had
recycling and composting systems in place for years. Starbucks should have been able to do better,
and faster why has it taken them so long to jump on the greenwagon?
7. Starbucks has decided to increase their purchases of Fair Trade coffee but thats only after years of
pressure from Fair Trade groups. Considering that the worldwide coffee trade is a huge source of
oppression and poverty in third world countries, buying Fair Trade goes far to support better wages and
working conditions for coffee farmers. So far, only a small percentage of Starbucks coffee will actually
be Fair Trade Certified, but theyve still created a marketing campaign around it. Id expect better from
a large corporation; since Starbucks is large enough for the world to pay attention to its products, they
could push some powerful change by using their influence for the greater good.
8. No matter what they do to be a little more green, if Starbucks wont pour coffee into a reusable mug,
theyll never win my heart. My husband informed me of his own infuriating Starbucks experience where
they refused to fill his travel mug, instead handing him his latte in a disposable paper cup and telling
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Critical Discourse Analysis: perspectives, stakeholders, ideologies

Analysis of a variety of texts

him he could fill his travel mug himself. Hes not the only one whos had eco efforts thwarted like this at
Starbucks.
9. And besides, McDonalds beat Starbucks in a coffee taste test. Ouch!
So what do you think? Personally, I think Starbucks can do better and set a positive example for the
coffee business in general, but they wont do that unless they feel the heat from customers.
http://ecosalon.com/why-starbucks-sucks/

Pride of Thailand
Doi Chaang Specialty Gourmet Coffee
100% Single Origin. 100% Arabica.
Freshly Roasted in Canada
Certified Organic. Going Beyond Fair Trade.
Grown on a mountainous hillside in Northern Thailand and freshly roasted in Calgary, AB
Canada, you may now purchase our premium coffee beans either roasted or green, exclusively through
The Doi Chaang Coffee Company.
We welcome individuals, retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers, caterers, non-profit organizations, home and
commercial roasters.
The Doi Chaang Coffee Company is a unique partnership between the Akha hillside tribe of Doi Chaang
Village, located in the Chiang Rai Province of Northern Thailand, and a small Canadian group of coffee
enthusiasts. The Thai farming family co-operative cultivate and process 100% Arabica, organic, singleorigin coffee beans while the Canadian experts roast, market and distribute the coffee.
The literal translation of "Doi Chaang" is Elephant Mountain which describes the imposing shape of the
hills rising behind Doi Chaang Village.
In honour of Piko, our founder and the visionary who foresaw a better future for the Akha people, we
proudly inclu de his likeness on every bag of Doi Chaang Coffee.
http://www.doichaangcoffee.com/

Route 66 Coffee (package blurb)

Route 66 Coffee roasters specializes in gourmet and flavoured roasted coffee. Our coffee is roasted
from the highest quality specialty grade Arabica and Robusta beans sourced throughout Southeast Asia
direct through longer term relationships with farmers who take pride in their work.
All of our coffee is small batch roasted by our artisan roast master. Our traditional Micro Roasting style
captures the peak flavour characteristics and full aromatic pleasure unique to each variety of coffee
bean. This special combination of superior coffee beans and bold roasting flavour makes our coffee one
of the most flavorful in Southeast Asia.

Fair Trade Coffee

The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the
world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be
described as "sweatshops in the fields." Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that
are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.
Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased
under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international
criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26, providing much needed credit to farmers, and
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Critical Discourse Analysis: perspectives, stakeholders, ideologies

Analysis of a variety of texts

providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee
farmers means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship.
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/

Critical Discourse Analysis: perspectives, stakeholders, ideologies

Analysis of a variety of texts

Coffee Health Risks: For the moderate drinker, coffee is safe says
Harvard Womens Health Watch
Despite 20 years of reassuring research, many people still avoid caffeinated coffee because
they worry about its health effects. However, current research reveals that in moderationa
few cups a daycoffee is a safe beverage that may even offer some health benefits. The
September issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch weighs the pros and cons of this popular
beverage and eases the concerns of moderate coffee drinkers.
The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn't cause
harm, it's also uncovered possible benefits. Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is
lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don't drink it. Also, coffee may
reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer,
improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver
disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve
endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.
For those who drink coffee to stay alert, new research suggests that you'll stay more alert,
particularly if you are fighting sleep deprivation, if you spread your coffee consumption over
the course of the day. For instance, if you usually drink 16 ounces in the morning, try
consuming a 2-3 ounce serving every hour or so. Again, moderation is the key.
However, as the September issue notes, coffee is not completely innocent. Caffeine, coffee's
main ingredient is a mild addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular
effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular
heartbeat that should be considered. Studies have been largely inconclusive regarding coffee
and its effect on women's health issues such as breast health, cancer, and osteoporosis. But,
the negative effects of coffee tend to emerge in excessive drinking so it is best to avoid heavy
consumption.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_risk