https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/699 2026-06-01T21:58:18Z 2026-06-01T21:58:18Z Cassar, Dylan https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146100 2026-05-04T09:27:19Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: (Re-) assembling the gilt-edged market : quantification, model misfire, and the politics of expertise in post war Britain Authors: Cassar, Dylan Abstract: This article explores the contested (re)-assembly of the UK gilt-edged market between the 1950s and 1980s, foregrounding the ever-shifting process of quantification in stockbroking firms that made and remade the market. Drawing on archival materials and oral history interviews, it first traces the consolidation of sociotechnical agencements, made up of actuaries, yield models and quantified evaluation practices in stockbroking research departments, which gained authority as investment became increasingly institutionalised. These calculative agencements reshaped trading practices, but were also subject to resistance, misfire, and rivalry as alternative, more formalised models were proposed. While actuarial authority was eventually displaced by ‘financial economics’ expertise, established valuation devices proved durable by being reconfigured and repurposed within new professional and institutional settings. The paper argues that the durability and performative capacity of models rest on their ontological mouldability: their capacity to be translated across successive regimes of expertise and institutional contexts while retaining practical relevance. The article contributes to recent scholarship in the Social Studies of Finance on performativity and post-performativity that emphasises the political, fragile, and historically situated nature of financial markets.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145716 2026-04-17T07:34:47Z 2026-04-13T00:00:00Z

Title: Coastal communities must be at the heart of policy Abstract: Coastal policy in Malta needs a shift in perspective — from viewing coasts as economic assets to recognising them as lived social spaces where people connect, belong, and build their lives. In this article, I reflect on why communities must be placed at the heart of coastal governance, and ask a simple question: who are our coasts really for?

2026-04-13T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145427 2026-04-09T07:07:40Z 2026-03-31T00:00:00Z

Title: What Europe’s overtourism protests are really telling us — and why Malta should pay attention Abstract: Drawing on a scholarly paper co-authored with Karl Agius, this opinion-piece in the Malta Independent explores what overtourism protests across Europe are really telling us—and why Malta should pay close attention. As pressures on housing, infrastructure, and quality of life intensify across destinations, the article reflects on the broader social dynamics shaping tourism debates today.

2026-03-31T00:00:00Z Agius, Karl Briguglio, Michael https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/144923 2026-03-13T14:48:37Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Protests against overtourism across Europe and EU policy response Authors: Agius, Karl; Briguglio, Michael Abstract: Protests against overtourism are not new, but post-pandemic recovery has intensified concerns, sparking demonstrations across Europe. This chapter examines these protests using Protest Event Analysis (PEA) alongside an assessment of key European Union (EU) policy documents and initiatives. Findings indicate an increase in protests in 2024, particularly in the Mediterranean region, with major grievances centred on declining local quality of life and housing challenges. Demonstrations were the predominant form of protest. In response, the EU introduced new short-term rental regulations to improve data collection and support local authorities in decision-making. However, with tourism being a supporting competence of the EU, broader action remains limited. Ahead of the forthcoming EU sustainable tourism strategy, the EU is aiming to enhance sustainability by equipping competent authorities with data-driven and digital tools to redistribute tourist flows to under-visited areas, promoting “balanced tourism.” These efforts seek to mitigate overtourism’s negative effects while fostering a more sustainable, equitable tourism model.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z