How 'il caffé' sospeso' became 'suspended coffee' The neoliberal re-'invention of tradition' from Bourdieu to Bourdieu

This article analyses the way in which il caffè sospeso, an old Italian tradition giving needy people a free coffee, has become 'suspended coffee', a current trend in the United States. Theoretically, firstly, this study explains the Italian phenomenon through Bourdieu's 'classic' theory linked to food as provider of social distinction, distance from reality and culinary capital; secondly, to explain the new American model, this article builds on Bourdieu's later work on neoliberalism. This double theoretical approach enables a double methodological approach. The old Italian practice is investigated through Bourdieu's historical field analysis; instead, the American, neoliberal model is studied through political economy analysis of websites owned by the companies supporting suspended coffee. The results show that in Italy il caffè sospeso was an opportunity for the donor to gain social distinction thanks to distance from reality, not providing the poor with something more necessary than a coffee. In the United States, private companies have taken hold of this old tradition and alter the old relationship between donor and receiver. Giving is not spontaneous anymore. Companies advise/force the clients to donate and confer culinary capital to 'elected' customers on their websites, with texts aiming to advertise rather than to inform. In conclusion, neoliberalism exploits old traditions for commercial reasons.