"I'D BE A FOOL TO NOT TRY": NARRATING THE SELF THROUGH "INDIE" CAFE OWNWERSHIP IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

A group of neoliberal subjects in Singapore has chosen to start up independently-owned, or indie, cafes, contributing to a new trend of coffee culture: the third wave coffee movement. Many of these owners have made a mid-career switch, with some having no any prior work experience in the food and beverage industry. The lack of experience has not deterred them from quitting their jobs to embark on the risky venture of managing a cafe. This willingness to embrace entrepreneurial opportunities is facilitated by what Anthony Giddens describes as the risk, fragmentation, and self-reflexivity apparent in late-modern society, which allows individuals to work towards their own "aim, projects, or aspirations." This paper examines the self-narratives of these individuals, generated by semi-structured interviews, to understand the significance of the cafes to these owners. For these owners, the cafe becomes an important symbol that form the base of their narratives, articulating ideals such as creativity, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. The cafe, as a place with material aspects, is a cultural good, which is consumed symbolically by these owners to reflect on their cultural disposition, forming their own cultural capital. Apart from being the investment of these individuals' personal ideals, the cafe remains a commercial enterprise, which the owners must manage with a certain degree of pragmatism. This can result in tensions and stress that might threaten to undermine the individuals' ability to construct a coherent and meaningful sense of self and identity.