Networks of Trading and Communication
Course code
AIG6341.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Majandus- ja kommunikatsioonivõrgustikud
Course title in English
Networks of Trading and Communication
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester
Kaarel Vanamölder (language of instruction:Estonian)
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
To provide students with an overview of the formation and development of trade and communication networks from the late Middle Ages to the mid-19th century;
To explain the role of trade and communication networks in the dissemination of cultural influences across time and space;
To develop an understanding of the early modern communication revolution and its impact on the development of the news trade and the circulation of information;
To introduce the various forms of the news trade and their connections to economic, political, and cultural processes.
To explain the role of trade and communication networks in the dissemination of cultural influences across time and space;
To develop an understanding of the early modern communication revolution and its impact on the development of the news trade and the circulation of information;
To introduce the various forms of the news trade and their connections to economic, political, and cultural processes.
Brief description of the course
The course examines the formation and development of trade and communication networks from the late Middle Ages to the mid-19th century, using them to explain the transmission of cultural influences across time and space. The primary focus of the course is the early modern communication revolution and the news trade in its various forms.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- explains the formation and development of trade and communication networks from the late Middle Ages to the mid-19th century, situating them in their historical and spatial context;
- describes and analyses the early modern communication revolution, including the development of print culture, the news trade, and the circulation of information;
- analyses different forms of the news trade (e.g. pamphlets, newspapers, correspondence networks) and their role in the dissemination of cultural influences;
- relates economic and communicative processes to broader social, political, and cultural developments;
- compares communication and trade networks across different regions and periods, highlighting similarities and differences;
- develops well-reasoned and culturally and disciplinarily sensitive assessments, taking into account historical context, the specific nature of sources, and multiple perspectives;
- discusses course topics in a reasoned manner, both in written and/or oral form, using appropriate disciplinary terminology.
- explains the formation and development of trade and communication networks from the late Middle Ages to the mid-19th century, situating them in their historical and spatial context;
- describes and analyses the early modern communication revolution, including the development of print culture, the news trade, and the circulation of information;
- analyses different forms of the news trade (e.g. pamphlets, newspapers, correspondence networks) and their role in the dissemination of cultural influences;
- relates economic and communicative processes to broader social, political, and cultural developments;
- compares communication and trade networks across different regions and periods, highlighting similarities and differences;
- develops well-reasoned and culturally and disciplinarily sensitive assessments, taking into account historical context, the specific nature of sources, and multiple perspectives;
- discusses course topics in a reasoned manner, both in written and/or oral form, using appropriate disciplinary terminology.
Teacher
Kaarel Vanamölder
Study programmes containing that course