Ethnographic Case

Introduction

As writing is a habitualised activity that improves the content of what we know, as well as exercise the mind, I'm going to write down about an Ethnographic study conducted in a coffee shop. Considering that:

"Writing is not simply a true representation of an objective reality, out there…Instead, through literary and rhetorical structures, writing creates a particular view of reality" (Richardson 1990: 9), I'm trying to observe the behavior and the reasons behind of different typology of Albanian habitant of Tirana that frequent the chosen coffee shop.

The most common phrase we use in everyday life is "we're gonna have a coffee" meaning always "we're gonna sit in a coffee shop". This study will serve to understand why the coffee shops are so common place in Albania? Is it for a category or social groups or it can be generalized?

Regarding this topic, no previous researches are done, only some sporadic and vague observations presented as additional part of any TV chronicle. The aim of this study is a try for bringing to light some explanations regarding several behaviors such as behavior toward the prices, behavior of the young generation against education, etc. Initially will be an overview description through each of the coffee shops and what it was observed, following by the situation's interpretation and ending with some conclusions about the study and its worth. The reader will profit not only to understand better different behavior reflecting the reality but can serve even to coffee shop's owners to improve their business against the target groups they want to attract.

This study was carried out through Ethnography as anthropologically oriented method where the everyday life and its contexts are studied in a society or group. The techniques used has been participant observation, which can help being part of the story and better reveal the reasons through open interviews to coffee visitors which is the second technique. These methods help to find the answers of who frequent the coffee shops, for which purpose; considering the fragmented time in disposal and the limited budget. As well the open interviews are better to be used vs. structured ones, giving the interviewer the opportunity to get unlimited answers.

Observation/Data Collected

"Zeling", the coffee shop when I generally used to have my morning coffee, is located near my work building, in a nice second street which is noticed for the security provided because of the habitation of the Prime Minister of Albania. Actually the coffee can be described as a simple one, high capacity considering the other coffee shops next to it (the whole street, in a straight line is populated by other coffee shops). The tables indoor are actually distributed in three levels which comes one after other.