https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/8103 2026-04-23T06:11:04Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/143096 Title: Face to face with sex robots and the cultures surrounding them Authors: Cassar, Joanne Abstract: The possibilities of interacting sexually with humanoid robots are pushing boundaries on how we think about sexual relations, intimacy, touch, connection, desire, sexual fantasy and erotic pleasure. A number of positive benefits have been highlighted in this regard such as fun, excitement, companionship, safe sex and even “feeling loved”. The prospects of engaging in sex with robots are also marked by oppositional forces, which claim that this form of relating is disturbing, because it causes degradation of sexual integrity, promotes a rape culture and encourages the objectification and exploitation of women, and should therefore be banned. This paper discusses the implications, which sexual activity with artificial humanoids, might have on society and culture. It employs posthuman perspectives, in order to draw out the interconnections between the commonalities and differences among different factions of thought about sex robots. This framework recognises that polarisations, biases and subjectivities in the understanding of cultural constructs regarding sex robots, are productive and entangled, even if they act in opposition with each other or in contradictory ways. Culturally opposite views are not separate from each other, since they constitute the very phenomenon of sex robots. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138175 Title: Guidelines for accessibility in the historic city of Valletta Authors: Cefai, Shirley Abstract: Immense progress has been witnessed across Europe in recent decades to address the challenges of disability and the inequalities that it creates, through legislation, policy and infrastructure. In Malta too, the sterling work of the National Commission for Persons with Disability (KNPD), and more recently, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), has transformed this sector, so that today it is unthinkable for a new building not to be universally accessible. Historic city centres, however, still present a wide spectrum of challenges to residents and visitors with different needs. The present guidelines, which explore some of these issues in the context of the World Heritage City of Valletta, are therefore a very welcome contribution. [excerpt from the Foreword by Prof. JoAnn Cassar] 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138174 Title: Management and valorisation of underground heritage from prehistory to the 20th century. The Maltese scenario Authors: Cefai, Shirley Abstract: Protection of the past does not only impact the physical protection of the past fabric but also affects society. If society does not understand the importance of the past and hence the importance of transmitting it to the future, conservation would not happen. As will be seen in this paper, the protection of our past is linked with the knowledge that society has about the past, which then leads to the values that are attributed to monuments. The article will start by explaining the development of the valorisation of cultural Heritage and will then provide a definition of Underground Heritage and how it is managed through case studies. 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/137788 Title: Venice charter and the development of authenticity Authors: Cefai, Shirley Abstract: Authenticity has been a concern for many centuries. In the 19th century, during the restoration interventions on Notre Dame, it was obvious that authenticity was linked solely to the original material of the monument. It was in the Venice Charter of 1964, that there was an attempt to define authenticity. Since then, the perception and understanding of what is authentic has changed. This shift in meaning is partly due to changes in the sanctioned definitions of chartered documents, which influenced the values society attributed to their heritage. Values counteracted this by becoming wider in scope. Though the Venice Charter mentioned authenticity, it did not specify the attributes heritage should maintain to be considered authentic. This was to change when intangible and tangible heritage were considered as criteria for inscription in World Heritage Sites, particularly with the pivotal contribution from the Japanese experience of intangible heritage when they joined the World Heritage Convention. Once intangible and tangible heritage were considered for inscription in World Heritage Sites, authenticity was pushed to consider other attributes than materiality alone. The understanding of authenticity was developed through discussions regarding World Heritage Sites like Abu Simbel, the Historic Centre of Warsaw and Mostar Bridge, which were enlisted as World Heritage Sites after major interventions or reconstruction works were carried out on them. The article concludes with a discussion regarding how the characteristics of the material used, in particular in a case of reconstruction, could influence the authentic or truthful experience of a historic site. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z