https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/73159 2026-04-09T02:29:08Z 2026-04-09T02:29:08Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/143468 2026-02-05T09:43:08Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Transmedia storytelling in the detective genre : analysing reader and viewer experience Abstract: The history of storytelling is a history of change and transformation across time and space. Henry Jenkins’ theory of digital platform storytelling, and Manuel Castells’ theory of Real Virtuality show how readers and viewers experience detective genre stories through transmedia. Case studies from the storyworld of Sherlock Holmes including canonical works, as well as fan-made material, help to contextualise the argument. This is important because fan contributions shed more light on how transmedia platforms influence their experiences through fanfiction writing. Stories cross from the imaginative and virtual storyworlds to the reality of readers and viewers through transmedia platforms. A look into Marie-Laure Ryan’s discussion of how modification, expansion, and transposition transform a story allows for a better understanding of reader and viewer experience. The role of these methods is also discussed, through the way Christy Dena links secondary authors to the original storyworld. This dissertation also looks at the possibility of having a unified theory of narrative. As opposed to one model, a discussion of the way different theories of narrative work together towards reader and viewer experience features in this work. The way Wolf Schmid looks at the text as the only thing that can be observed leading to the semiotic model is crucial. Comparing Schmid’s theory to that of other scholars contextualises the argument that different narrative theories come together to enrich the storytelling experience. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/137993 2025-08-20T05:43:04Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Effects of COVID-19 on culture : an examination of quarantined life and COVID-19 in Malta Abstract: This dissertation examines the effects that Covid-19 and quarantine have had in the local Maltese context. Taking both an anthropological and a phenomenological stance, it attempts to gauge the various narratives at play. This is undertaken in three parts, the linguistic element, the examination of areas highlighted during the pandemic and on the personal level using interviews that unite strengthen and further connect the prior two parts. Linguistics shall examine the construction of narratives that would shape the disease with particular reference on the language and metaphors used, as well as the attitudes these create. The analysis of society shall examine the various critiques and issues that the pandemic and measures used to combat it would highlight, with reference to the Maltese government’s role. The interviews conducted explore the personal feelings towards this sociocultural experience and act as an insight in the lives of young individuals who highlight the impact on a generation. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/137992 2025-08-20T05:35:56Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Devoted to surf : an ethnographic study of the globalisation of surfing in Malta Abstract: The focus of this dissertation is to delve into the small yet growing community of surfers in Malta, to understand their motivations and how their comprehension of the global surf community draws them together. My data was gathered by observing Maltese surfers and discussing their thoughts on their spiritual relationship with nature, on notions of territorialism and consumption both locally and on foreign shores, whilst drawing upon existing literature and ethnographies focusing on risk-based sports for comparison. This dissertation seeks to understand the surf experience through topics of spirituality and the occupancy of the surf space within a growing community through the Maltese context, highlighting the difficulties they face without regular tidal surf, and identifying their dedication to their sport. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/137990 2025-08-20T05:33:58Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The social life of books in Malta : a material culture study Abstract: This is a dissertation on books as a form of material culture in Malta, aiming to understand how meaning and value are created through the relationship between book, individual and the spaces in which they circulate. I accomplish this through interviews with book lovers and observation of the spaces books inhabit. Research on books as objects has either focused on the ‘material’ or ‘cultural’ aspects of the book or has combined the two but lacked an anthropological approach. Through this dissertation, I show that books gain value and meaning in three ways. Firstly, books act as social symbols of status and class in the public and private spheres of society. In so doing, they aid in the formation of identity. Secondly, they act as stores of memory which make book collections an important repository of life events. Finally, they help people connect to others through space and time. In these ways, books become prized possessions. Even if books aren’t the right books for one individual, they are still seen as being of potential value to someone else, making them unlikely objects to end up in the bin. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.)

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z