https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/697 2026-10-31T16:16:07Z 2026-10-31T16:16:07Z Pargeter, Justin Groucutt, Huw S. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150637 2026-10-29T14:39:16Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Variable perspectives on “Standardization in the Stone Age” Authors: Pargeter, Justin; Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: Lithic standardization has many definitions, but here we define it as the production of stone tools with limited variation. Yet, many uncertainties, ambiguities, and contradictions remain within such a broad definition. For example, what does it “mean” for toolmakers to standardize their implements? How much variation do archaeologists allow for when considering standardized lithics? Are we talking about the standardization of the final lithic forms as static objects that form the archaeological record, or in using the term standardization, are we talking about inferred processes? What are the implications of lithic standardization regarding human cognition, social behavior, and technological adaptations? [excerpt]

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Spiteri Miggiani, Giselle https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150601 2026-10-29T10:48:16Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: A human-centered framework for multilingual AI dubbing : quality metrics, taxonomy, and evaluation checklists Authors: Spiteri Miggiani, Giselle Abstract: This paper proposes a human-centered, multidimensional framework to support practitioners and trainees in producing and evaluating multilingual AI dubbing. It introduces a systematic suite of modular tools for professional localization workflows and academic training. This toolkit expands the Script, Speech, and Sound (SSS) Quality framework (Spiteri Miggiani, 2024) by integrating three new measures: a Vocal Identity Taxonomy (VIT) to systematically map vocal persona and voice casting; a Synthesis Validation Checklist (SVC) to identify and mitigate synthetic audio artifacts and processing glitches; and a holistic product-level Express QC Model utilizing “Approve, Improve, Redo” metrics. The paper outlines practical strategies to implement this extended AI dubbing quality framework within industry quality control pipelines. Furthermore, it demonstrates how emerging hybrid workflows redefine the linguist's role, positioning the human expert as an indispensable decision-maker in navigating linguistic, emotional, and cultural resonance. To facilitate practical application and provide conceptual foundations for this evolving field, the article includes supplementary materials, comprising practical templates, an operational toolkit, and a glossary of key terms.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150598 2026-10-29T08:35:52Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The passport : aesthetics as a tool of colonialism from empire to passport apartheid Abstract: This dissertation argues that the passport today is not neutral but is tied to enduring colonial structures that dictate the rights, identity, and mobility of all citizens of the world. I examine this across three main ideas: the historical, the visual and the ethical. My dissertation looks at 199 passports of UN states, plus some observers and some Indigenous passports where available from 2024 to 2026. I examine their designs, languages, and the conditions within them. By exploring the works of many authors and researchers, including Quijano, Scott, Anderson, Saussure, Fanon, hooks, Singer, Levinas, Rawls, Arendt, Foucault, and Bauman, I have developed the argument that the passport perpetuates colonial inheritance in three ways. Firstly, it does so by restricting the mobility of formerly colonised populations. Next, by privileging Western aesthetics as the dominant and legitimate visual framework, and lastly by imposing European categories of identity that reconstruct what it means to be a person. I hope my dissertation contributes to raising awareness of the passport, how it is used today, its history, and its consequences. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150591 2026-10-29T08:01:22Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Música, protesta e identidad puertorriqueña en el repertorio de Bad Bunny Abstract: La presente tesina analiza cómo la música de Bad Bunny funciona como un espacio de protesta política y expresión cultural en el contexto poscolonial de Puerto Rico. El estudio se centra en la relación entre música popular, identidad nacional y crítica social, considerando el impacto del colonialismo estadounidense, la migración y las crisis económicas recientes en la construcción de la puertorriqueñidad contemporánea. Primeramente, se examina el contexto histórico y sociopolítico de Puerto Rico, con especial atención a su condición de territorio no incorporado y a las tensiones derivadas de esta relación. A continuación, se desarrolla un marco teórico basado en los estudios culturales y la teoría poscolonial, especialmente en las aportaciones de Stuart Hall, Homi Bhabha y Frantz Fanon. Posteriormente, se analiza un corpus de canciones seleccionadas de Bad Bunny, explorando sus estrategias líricas, simbólicas y narrativas. El estudio demuestra que el artista no solo denuncia problemáticas como la gentrificación, la migración forzada o la desigualdad estructural, sino que también redefine la protesta a través del afecto, integrando vulnerabilidad, memoria y placer como formas de resistencia cultural. Finalmente, se concluye que su obra desestabiliza la dicotomía entre éxito comercial y compromiso político, posicionando la música popular como un espacio clave de afirmación identitaria y mediación sociopolítica tanto en la isla como en la diáspora. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z