UHVHCOBP05 History of communication and media I

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Summer 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Hana Komárková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Hana Komárková, Ph.D.
Institute of Historical Sciences – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Prerequisites
Bachelor students
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Lectures will focus on the phenomenon of communication in medieval and early modern urban society, resp on the attitudes of contemporary research in European context. The aim is to introduce some of the specific features and forms of communication (vertical and horizontal), historical sources and secondary literature related to the subject matter. Attention will also be paid to the pre-modern urban environment in general.
Learning outcomes
Student is able to discuss presented topics. Student has the basic knowledge concerning related secondary literature of contemporary provenience.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Systems of communication (J. Lohisse)
  • 3. Historical sources for urban environment
  • 4. Premodern town - organization of space
  • 5. Premodern town - institutions
  • 6. Premodern town – society
  • 7. Written communication
  • 8. Non-verbal communication, ritual, symbolical communication
  • 9. Preachers
  • 10. Communication in public space
  • 11. The age of udio-vizual communication
  • 12. Milestones in the history of communication
  • 13. The phenomenon of cantastoria
Literature
    required literature
  • Mostert, M. New Approaches to Medieval Communication. Turnhout 1999.
  • Čapský, M. (ed.). Komunikace ve středověkých městech. Opava 2014.
  • Althoff, G. (ed.). Formen und Funktionen öffentlicher Kommunikation im Mittelalter. Stuttgart 2001.
  • Hlaváčková, M. (ed.). Od symbolu k slovu: podoby stredovekej komunikácie. Bratislava 2016.
  • Lohisse, J. Komunikační systémy: socioantropologický pohled. Praha 2003.
    recommended literature
  • Briggs, A. - Burke, P. A Social History of the Media. From Gutenberg to the internet. Cambridge 2000.
  • Leighton, A. C. Transport and communication in early medieval Europe, AD 500-1100. New York 1972.
  • Szilágyi, M. On the road – the history and archaeology of communication networks in east-central Europe. Budapest 2014.
  • Selig, M. – Ehrich, S. Mittelalterliche Stadtsprachen. Regensburg 2016.
    not specified
  • Cohen, T. V. – Twomey, L. K. (eds.). Spoken word and social practice: orality in Europe (1400-1700). Leiden – Boston 2015.
Teaching methods
work with literature and sources (individual, group), class discussion
Assessment methods
Oral examination
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fpf/summer2025/UHVHCOBP05