Our theme is the move from an inter connected world to an interdependent one. It's all about the market(s), dummy. Colonies mark a shift in models of trade - away from trading the surplus created by a community who is largely self sustaining, towards organising communities to specialise in the production of trade goods.
"As the world becomes wealthier, it also becomes more unequal" says Prof. Again, I ask: where are the women in this analysis?
Found the discussion of how our expectations around food are constructed very interesting. The idea of specific foods for breakfast / lunch / dinner is relatively new. The increased access to sugar made after dinner dessert a middle class essential. Food and meals shape families and societies.
The stock exchange (developing in Amsterdam & London in late C17) is the commodification of companies. They become entities that are traded.
In other news: these lectures would be so much easier to follow if there were a clearer timeline. When did this stuff all happen? Dunno. Colonies were establishing from 1500ish? But lecturer is talking a lot about the Wealth of Nations and that's 1770s. Also a lot about coffee shops which is late 1600s. So it's all very interesting, but it's a 350 year global span in a 45 minute lecture. Deep...
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Hi, thanks for commenting. It's great to know other avid readers. I hope you'll also share what you're currently reading?