Cafés en la “Ciudad Blanca”: identidad, crisis cafetera y el restablecimiento del orden social en Colombia

The present article analyzes the enacting and reenacting of cafés in Popayán—a colonial city located in the southern part of Colombia. Two specific moments are discussed, before and after the 1983 earthquake, highlighting the period called the “Coffee Crisis” (1989-1994), during which new cafés appear throughout the city. According to the author, it is possible to observe differentiating and contesting social processes grounded on social identity and gender, which show elements of the social structure of the city. As a conclusion, the text invites the reader to consider such places as “windows” to social life, claiming that they are more than simple spaces for coffee consumption. Moreover, the article suggests that similar spaces—where these types of interactions take place—may reveal social characteristics of the groups being studied.