Consuming the Nation

How do elite castes, exclusive public spheres, and national cultural practices relate to each other in early modern and modern societies? Early modern Bengali caste samajs, Japanese tea ceremonies, and Harvard’s historical final clubs are presented in comparison. Elitism and complex social structures characterized these exclusive, masculine social networks, giving rise to unique regional cultural norms that endured as symbols of national identity even in modern times. The focus of this chapter is on the parallels between these public spheres and their role in molding the national cultures of these societies during the modern period.