https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/692 2026-09-13T21:58:32Z 2026-09-13T21:58:32Z Buttigieg, Noel https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149005 2026-09-10T05:38:57Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The culture of frozen foods in early modern Malta Authors: Buttigieg, Noel Abstract: This study explores the socio-cultural significance of frozen foods in early modern Malta, a region defined by a hot climate where natural ice was non-existent. By the seventeenth century, the Knights of St. John established a fragile yet vital supply chain importing Sicilian ice via specialized vessels, tartana della neve. Originally valued for its medical properties in treating fevers, ice transitioned into a symbol of aristocratic refinement and diplomatic hospitality. Unlike the "democratized" consumption seen in Naples, frozen delicacies like aggiazzata and sorbetti remained exclusive markers of status in Malta, reserved for the elite. Material culture, evidenced by the sophisticated equipment in the Inquisitor's Palace, underscores the ritualized display of power through frozen desserts. The research highlights how the culture of frozen foods illustrates the intersection of technological innovation, precarious logistics, and social stratification, where a perishable commodity became a powerful tool for expressing identity and authority on a scorching Mediterranean island.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Thake, Anne Marie Cutajar, JosAnn https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148995 2026-09-09T10:45:19Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: From policy to practice : human resource development and diversity, equality and inclusion in a small island state Authors: Thake, Anne Marie; Cutajar, JosAnn Abstract: Problem: Organisations in Malta face growing pressure to implement diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) aligned with global and European standards. However, translating these norms into meaningful, context-sensitive practices within a small island state presents challenges. Tensions arise between formal compliance requirements and genuine inclusion when addressing intersectional inequalities related to gender, disability, nationality, and LGBTIQ + identities.; Solution: Using a qualitative approach based on interviews with HRD practitioners and black-letter analysis, this study shows how HRD actors include DEI into organisational development. Beyond formal policies on recruitment and pay equity, practitioners advance inclusive leadership development, mentoring, employee networks, and culture-building initiatives. Guided by institutional and paradox perspectives, these strategies balance regulatory compliance with transformative inclusion.; Stakeholders: Key stakeholders include HRD practitioners, organisational leaders, employees from diverse backgrounds, and policymakers shaping national and European equality frameworks.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, Brent Eriksson, Kimmo Vartanova, Irina Strimling, Pontus Merchan Tamayo, J. Paola Abdi, Khalid Ahmed Ad, Neta Aldashev, Alisher Mohammad Ali, Habib Aliyev, Khatai Alrefaee, Yasser Alvarado Ortiz, Alberth Estuardo Andersson, Per A. Andrighetto, Giulia Arikan, Gizem Aruta, John Jamir Benzon R. Lutete Ayikwa, Christian Baños-Chaparro, Jonatan Barrera, Davide Batkeyev, Birzhan Batool, Azma Berezina, Elizaveta Bimina, Stéphanie Ngandu Björnstjerna, Marie Blumen, Sheyla Boski, Paweł Boštjančič, Eva Boum II, Yap Briguglio, Marie Thu Bui, Huyen Thi Caycho-Rodríguez, Tomás Chen, Yanyan Chiweshe, Manase Kudzai Choi, HoonSeok Contreras-Ibáñez, Carlos C. Čorkalo, Dinka Cruz-Torres, Christian E. Czakó, Andrea de Zoysa, Piyanjali Demetrovics, Zsolt Dinić, Bojana M. Drače, Saša El-Haddad, Rita W. Engelmann, Jan B. Pérez, Ignacio Escudero Euh, Hyun Fang, Xia Frank, Celine Freidin, Esteban Fulop, Marta Gamsakhurdia, Vladimer García Jiménez, Mauro Alberto Gardarsdottir, Ragna B. Gavreliuc, Alin Hugues D. Gill, Colin Mathew Gjoneska, Biljana Glöckner, Andreas Graf, Sylvie Grigoryan, Ani Growiec, Katarzyna Haas, Brian W. Haddock, Geoffrey Hadjisolomou, Stavros P. Hadžiahmetović, Nina Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hosein Haji Hakoköngäs, Eemeli Halama, Peter Hapunda, Given Hartanto, Andree Hazrati, Mahsa Herbas-Torrico, Boris Christian Holka, Szilárd Hřebíčková, Martina Hunter, John A. Ibikounle, Moudachirou Ilisko, Dzintra Hjördísar Jónsdóttir, Harpa Lind Kaminskiene, Zivile Kapoor, Hansika Kapović, Iva Karim, Gassemi Kawakami, Kerry Khachatryan, Narine Kirschner, Julian B. Kiruja, Jonah Kiyonari, Toko Kohút, Michal Kousar, Shazia Krasniqi, Besnik Landa-Blanco, Miguel Landon, Barbara Lep, Žan Leslie, Lisa M. Li, Yang Liik, Kadi Lin, Ming-Jen Lobos Rivera, Marlon Elías López-López, Wilson Maloku, Edona Mandal, Mohona Manhique, Bernardo Ananias Mbende, Nathan Mpeti Mendes Teixeira, Maria Luisa Mohammed, Linda Lila Moore, Schontal N. Moraligil, Bahar Muradzada, Nijat Nanda, Herwin Nastina, Ekaterina Nejat, Pegah Nettle, Daniel Nipassa, Orlando Julio Andre Noe-Grijalva, Martin Ntampaka, Pie Ntone, Rodrigue Nussinson, Ravit Oljača, Milan Onyedire, Nneoma G. Onyishi, Ike E. Panagiotopoulou, Penny Parvez, Md. Shahin Pasin, Gian Luca Pedović, Ivana Pérez de León, Pablo Perez Floriano, Lorena R. Persson, Minna Pop-Jordanov, Nada Portillo, Jose Roberto Potang, Angela Quesada-Román, Adolfo Raver, Jana L. Rodrigues, Ricardo B. Rodríguez-Romero, Juan Diego Romanò, Sara Ross, Robert M. Rosun, Nachita Sadiković, Selka San Martin, Alvaro Smederevac, Snežana Smith, Sarah Jane Soboleva, Natalia Sonessa, Daniel Erena Stanley, Samantha K. Stoyanova, Kristina Stoyanov, Drozdstoy Takemura, Kosuke Thøgersen, John Tiliouine, Habib Tung, Hans Ulambayar, Tungalag Uzdavinyte, Elze Marija Waechter, Randall Wu, Junhui Yambiyo, Brice Martial Yankson, Eric Yeh, Kuang-Hui Van Lange, Paul A. M. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148916 2026-09-03T11:10:57Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: How norms depend on the presence and status of observers : the relational contingency of everyday behaviors in 90 societies Authors: Simpson, Brent; Eriksson, Kimmo; Vartanova, Irina; Strimling, Pontus; Merchan Tamayo, J. Paola; Abdi, Khalid Ahmed; Ad, Neta; Aldashev, Alisher; Mohammad Ali, Habib; Aliyev, Khatai; Alrefaee, Yasser; Alvarado Ortiz, Alberth Estuardo; Andersson, Per A.; Andrighetto, Giulia; Arikan, Gizem; Aruta, John Jamir Benzon R.; Lutete Ayikwa, Christian; Baños-Chaparro, Jonatan; Barrera, Davide; Batkeyev, Birzhan; Batool, Azma; Berezina, Elizaveta; Bimina, Stéphanie Ngandu; Björnstjerna, Marie; Blumen, Sheyla; Boski, Paweł; Boštjančič, Eva; Boum II, Yap; Briguglio, Marie; Thu Bui, Huyen Thi; Caycho-Rodríguez, Tomás; Chen, Yanyan; Chiweshe, Manase Kudzai; Choi, HoonSeok; Contreras-Ibáñez, Carlos C.; Čorkalo, Dinka; Cruz-Torres, Christian E.; Czakó, Andrea; de Zoysa, Piyanjali; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Dinić, Bojana M.; Drače, Saša; El-Haddad, Rita W.; Engelmann, Jan B.; Pérez, Ignacio Escudero; Euh, Hyun; Fang, Xia; Frank, Celine; Freidin, Esteban; Fulop, Marta; Gamsakhurdia, Vladimer; García Jiménez, Mauro Alberto; Gardarsdottir, Ragna B.; Gavreliuc, Alin; Hugues D. Gill, Colin Mathew; Gjoneska, Biljana; Glöckner, Andreas; Graf, Sylvie; Grigoryan, Ani; Growiec, Katarzyna; Haas, Brian W.; Haddock, Geoffrey; Hadjisolomou, Stavros P.; Hadžiahmetović, Nina; Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hosein Haji; Hakoköngäs, Eemeli; Halama, Peter; Hapunda, Given; Hartanto, Andree; Hazrati, Mahsa; Herbas-Torrico, Boris Christian; Holka, Szilárd; Hřebíčková, Martina; Hunter, John A.; Ibikounle, Moudachirou; Ilisko, Dzintra; Hjördísar Jónsdóttir, Harpa Lind; Kaminskiene, Zivile; Kapoor, Hansika; Kapović, Iva; Karim, Gassemi; Kawakami, Kerry; Khachatryan, Narine; Kirschner, Julian B.; Kiruja, Jonah; Kiyonari, Toko; Kohút, Michal; Kousar, Shazia; Krasniqi, Besnik; Landa-Blanco, Miguel; Landon, Barbara; Lep, Žan; Leslie, Lisa M.; Li, Yang; Liik, Kadi; Lin, Ming-Jen; Lobos Rivera, Marlon Elías; López-López, Wilson; Maloku, Edona; Mandal, Mohona; Manhique, Bernardo Ananias; Mbende, Nathan Mpeti; Mendes Teixeira, Maria Luisa; Mohammed, Linda Lila; Moore, Schontal N.; Moraligil, Bahar; Muradzada, Nijat; Nanda, Herwin; Nastina, Ekaterina; Nejat, Pegah; Nettle, Daniel; Nipassa, Orlando Julio Andre; Noe-Grijalva, Martin; Ntampaka, Pie; Ntone, Rodrigue; Nussinson, Ravit; Oljača, Milan; Onyedire, Nneoma G.; Onyishi, Ike E.; Panagiotopoulou, Penny; Parvez, Md. Shahin; Pasin, Gian Luca; Pedović, Ivana; Pérez de León, Pablo; Perez Floriano, Lorena R.; Persson, Minna; Pop-Jordanov, Nada; Portillo, Jose Roberto; Potang, Angela; Quesada-Román, Adolfo; Raver, Jana L.; Rodrigues, Ricardo B.; Rodríguez-Romero, Juan Diego; Romanò, Sara; Ross, Robert M.; Rosun, Nachita; Sadiković, Selka; San Martin, Alvaro; Smederevac, Snežana; Smith, Sarah Jane; Soboleva, Natalia; Sonessa, Daniel Erena; Stanley, Samantha K.; Stoyanova, Kristina; Stoyanov, Drozdstoy; Takemura, Kosuke; Thøgersen, John; Tiliouine, Habib; Tung, Hans; Ulambayar, Tungalag; Uzdavinyte, Elze Marija; Waechter, Randall; Wu, Junhui; Yambiyo, Brice Martial; Yankson, Eric; Yeh, Kuang-Hui; Van Lange, Paul A. M. Abstract: Norms are fundamental to social life, but basic questions about how they are affected by social context remain. Specifically, how do normative constraints depend on the presence and status of observers, and how do such relational contingencies vary across cultures? Using data from more than 25,000 individuals across 90 societies, we test several hypotheses linking normative constraints on everyday behaviors (like arguing, laughing, cursing, kissing, and crying), to the presence and status of observers. We find that behaviors widely viewed as appropriate in private become more constrained in the presence of others (an observer effect), and even more so when those others are higher in status (a status effect). Both observer and status effects are culturally universal, but the observer effect shows more variation across cultures. In particular, we find that observer effects are larger in societies that emphasize individualizing moral foundations, that is, avoiding harm and unfairness to others, because these societies are more permissive of actions when others are not around. The relative stability of status effects across cultural contexts suggests a universal tendency to defer in social hierarchies. These findings shed light on the relational contingency of everyday norms and underscore the role of such norms in the maintenance of social order and reproduction of inequality.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Attard, Robert https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148874 2026-09-02T09:53:58Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The rule of law in tax judgements of the ECtHR Authors: Attard, Robert Abstract: This chapter examines how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) applies the principle of the rule of law to guard taxpayers against arbitrary state authority. It outlines how key components of the rule of law—such as requiring a solid legal basis in domestic law, determinacy, foreseeability, non-arbitrariness, non-discrimination, and access to judicial review—are interpreted through ECtHR case law to set standards for quality and fairness in national tax measures.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z