Overview
This humanities-centered course examines Greek frappé within the cultural, historical, and social life of modern Greece. Students investigate its commonly cited emergence in Thessaloniki in 1957, relationship to instant coffee, international trade, postwar consumer culture, and the expansion of café society.
The course considers the Greek kafenio and contemporary café as social spaces shaped by conversation, leisure, class, gender, age, tourism, migration, and regional identity. Students analyze how beverages become national symbols and how memory, advertising, hospitality, globalization, and diaspora communities influence cultural meaning.
Comparative study includes iced-coffee traditions from other regions and debates concerning authenticity, cultural ownership, and representation. Students use primary and secondary sources, oral-history or observation methods, and historically grounded analysis to communicate nuanced interpretations of Greek coffee culture.
Learning Outcomes
- Construct a historically grounded account of Greek frappé and its development within modern Greek society.
- Interpret primary and secondary sources relating to coffee, café culture, consumer history, and social identity.
- Analyze relationships between beverage rituals, social spaces, memory, class, gender, migration, and regional identity.
- Distinguish documented historical evidence from popular memory, myth, advertising, and retrospective cultural narratives.
- Apply ethical and respectful methods to oral-history interviews or structured observation of beverage practices.
- Compare Greek coffee traditions with selected iced-coffee cultures using appropriate cultural and historical frameworks.
- Evaluate debates concerning authenticity, ownership, tourism, globalization, and cultural representation.
- Communicate evidence-based cultural interpretations in clear written, oral, and visual forms.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Seminar | 1 hour | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Source analysis | 20.00% |
| Quiz | Historical and cultural concepts quizzes (5 × 2%) | 10.00% |
| Deliverable | Oral-history or observation project | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Comparative cultural analysis | 20.00% |
| Tutorial | Tutorial participation and preparation | 10.00% |
| Exam | Final interpretive examination | 20.00% |
Prerequisites
- Requirement 14 NCEA Level 2 English credits, externally assessed
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
