Caffeinated aspirations: social mobilities and specialty coffee baristas in Brazil

This paper explores the work experiences of specialty coffee baristas in São Paulo, Brazil, considering specifically the role of passion and aspiration. Through ethnographic profiles of four baristas, it reveals how the pursuit of a good life through employment extends beyond immediate economic gain, but that there are complexities in converting forms of capital within the café workplace which are shaped by Brazil’s social context and distinct histories and hierarchies around food service labor. Success and longevity in the position was shaped by baristas’ preexisting capital, and heavily mediated by socioeconomic status; although certain baristas faced more precarious trajectories, they called upon discourses of passion to mitigate challenges inherent in lower-waged food service work. By exploring the experiences and aspirations of baristas in Brazil, this paper sheds light on the complex dynamics of social mobility and labor in emerging connoisseur and artisan markets.