https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/697 2026-11-04T15:31:02Z 2026-11-04T15:31:02Z Schembri Bonaci, Giuseppe https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150777 2026-11-04T15:03:41Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The orgasmic beauty of the art of reading art Authors: Schembri Bonaci, Giuseppe Abstract: This essay proposes an interdisciplinary methodology for reading artworks that moves beyond positivist formalism and reductive empiricism. It argues that form is not merely a visible contour but the manifestation of dynamic, often invisible, force fields—dialectical tensions that shape artistic creation. Drawing on thinkers such as Florensky, Pound, Adorno, Deleuze and Panofsky, the essay develops a conceptual toolkit that integrates pareidolic-apophenic perception, syntagmatic-paradigmatic analysis, parataxis and hypotaxis, and montage theory. These methodological strands enable a critical "X-ray" of artworks, revealing latent structures of meaning embedded within form, memory, and historical context. The study further situates artistic production within geo-political and socio-economic frameworks, particularly examining the tension between cosmopolitan hegemonies and insular or peripheral artistic cultures, with specific reference to Malta. It critiques vertical models of cultural domination and advocates for complementary horizontal analyses among Mediterranean and other marginal hubs. Ultimately, the essay contends that reading art is an active, creative act in which seeing becomes knowing and remembering. By uniting formal, philosophical, historical and socio-political inquiry, the proposed methodology seeks to restore art scholarship as a site of critical theory, conceptual innovation and emancipatory thought. The creative act cannot be explained by, or be constrained into, a scientifically determined equation. Thus, this essay does not attempt to give some kind of medical prescription or guide to reading art and experiencing its beauty. Rather, it offers particular milestones and anchors without which one will not succeed in truly understanding works of art. For the uninitiated, such anchorage might seem sporadic. It is not.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Thake, Conrad https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150767 2026-11-04T13:25:10Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Stone : between quarry and landscape Authors: Thake, Conrad Abstract: For centuries, it was virtually the islands’ only natural mineral resource that could be readily extracted and used for construction. The lower globigerina limestone is millions of years old, the product of successive layers of marine sediment that gradually consolidated into sedimentary rock. Globigerina limestone is the second-oldest rock formation exposed on the Maltese Islands and constitutes approximately 70 per cent of their surface area, weathering to form the broad, gently rolling landscape characteristic of much of Malta. [excerpt]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150766 2026-11-04T13:43:53Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Understanding hierarchies, roles and professional identities within mental health disciplines in a changing Maltese context Abstract: This dissertation explores the evolving landscape of mental health professions in Malta, focusing on psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, and counselling. It critically examines how these “psy-disciplines,” conceptualised in sociological literature, construct professional identities, navigate interprofessional dynamics, and negotiate hierarchical structures within Malta’s unique cultural and institutional context. Drawing on qualitative interviews with practitioners across disciplines, the research investigates how overlapping roles, contested boundaries, and unequal institutional authority shape both professional practice and service delivery. The study situates Malta’s mental health system within broader global trends of medicalisation and professionalisation, tracing its historical development from asylum-based psychiatry to the gradual emergence of regulated psychological and therapeutic professions. It highlights the enduring dominance of psychiatry, underpinned by biomedical models and state-sanctioned authority, while also examining the rise of psychotherapeutic and counselling approaches emphasising relational and holistic care. The analysis foregrounds tensions around role clarity, referral practices, and ethical responsibility, particularly in light of resource shortages, fragmented service provision, and the absence of clear public pathways for accessing care. By applying sociological theories of professions, including Freidson’s professional dominance and neo-Weberian concepts of social closure, the thesis interrogates how power and legitimacy are distributed within Malta’s mental health field. It also draws on symbolic interactionism to illuminate the performative aspects of professional identity and emotional labour in therapeutic work. Findings suggest that while interdisciplinary collaboration is increasingly emphasised in policy, significant barriers structural, cultural, and epistemological persist. The thesis concludes with recommendations for enhancing interprofessional cooperation, clarifying professional roles, and fostering a more equitable, person-centred mental health system. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150765 2026-11-04T13:42:48Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: To dwell, perchance to dream : homing national imaginaries in the city of Mdina, Malta Abstract: Some places have qualities attributed to them which make them important sites for personal and collective remembering and imagining. Mdina, a fortified city in central Malta, is one of such places for those who dwell within it and those who visit and work within its walls. The city is deeply layered with history and is shaped by its heritage, memory and fantasy. This dissertation explores the socio-spatial and symbolic processes which make, remake and represent Mdina as a dwelling place that contributes to Malta’s national imaginary. The dissertation adopts a qualitative research design combining visual ethnography, participant observation and semi-structured interviews with residents, visitors and people working in the heritage and tourism sectors in Mdina. The data gathered demonstrates how Mdina is a crucial and at times an indispensable oneiric space, in Bachelard’s (1994) sense, for the Maltese nation. It is a place that allows people to dream of the past, which sparks the imagination through an interplay between experiences of the material and the emotional, evoking a sense of comfort that recall a feeling of home. Homing practices in this unique setting are entangled with broader narratives of Maltese heritage, authenticity, and belonging. This study argues that the place making, memory-making and home-making practices in Mdina which are inherently socio- material and evocatively symbolic, allow different people to imagine and dream of the nation in diverse ways. Their engagement with the city’s urban fabric, from its narrow streets and architecture to its ambient quietness and curated historical aura, as well as with popular stories, frequent festivals and guided tours, generate a fertile ground for the cultivation of national imaginaries. The research highlights the tensions between Mdina’s everyday life and its curated national stage by focusing on memory, performance and home-making. It contributes to sociological understandings of place-making, national identity and urban heritage by foregrounding the everyday, symbolic and affective dimensions of historic spaces. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z