Kuulajaskond
Kuulajaskond (Estonian for “listening circle”) is a term used in Estonian ethnography and literature to describe an informal social network composed of neighbors, acquaintances, and peers who listen to conversations, collect information, and share it within the group. It denotes a phenomenon rather than a formal organization, with activities that arise from everyday interactions, not from codified rules or official membership.
Etymology and sense of the term reflect its core idea: kuula means to listen, while jaskond is
Historical and cultural usage of the concept appears in folkloric accounts, diaries, and narratives about village
In contemporary discourse, the term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe informal information networks in workplaces
See also: gossip, social networks, informal social control, rumor.