https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/10341 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:00:08 GMT 2026-04-08T04:00:08Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14438 Title: The management and representation of deprivation in Valletta : an anthropological exploration of the social complexity of poverty in an island-state capital Abstract: This dissertation is about the management and representation of deprivation in an island-state capital. Perceptions of poverty affect the way people present themselves in the private and public domains. In Valletta, deprivation is a condition which people try to conceal and others try to display. A description of social experiences shows how some people in Valletta manage their existence according to how morality, emotions and coping mechanisms affect their ‘being-in-the-world’. A glimpse of everyday life shows how social estimation affects the ones who evaluate others, and how others are evaluated by them. Poverty in Valletta is constituted by various gradations thus making it a condition difficult to fully understand. Description: B.A.(HONS)ANTHROPOLOGY Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14438 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14431 Title: Facing the future in the 21st century : an anthropological study of shop traders in Valletta : challenges and opportunities Abstract: This dissertation looks at retail traders in Valletta, Malta, mainly those in the third or fourth generation of inherited family businesses. Some businesses will continue into another generation, more will exit the field. But all face challenges in an adverse trading environment. Reasons cited range from: the decline, perceived or actual, of Valletta as a retail centre in the face of competition from other centres in Malta and online sales, combined with the pedestrianisation of much of Valletta and parking restrictions; a growth in the variety of consumer commodities available in an increasingly global market place; a reduction in the appreciation of quality products by an increasingly demanding, bargain-hunting clientele; the effects of the recession following the 2008 financial crisis. This is not an analysis of success over failure but of diverging roads, and the local and global factors bearing on those businesses which are likely to survive over those which will probably roll down the shutters for good. Description: B.A.(HONS)ANTHROPOLOGY Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14431 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14427 Title: Valletta elderly’s perceptions of and relations to medicine : how these may effect their social relations Abstract: This dissertation looks at the elderly residents of Valletta and their perceptions of and relationships to, medicines. It will show the ways in which medicines have implications on social relations. My informants seem to accept the fact that they have to take medicines in order to maintain an acceptable lifestyle. We could not say however that all my informants were ‘charmed’ by medicines. Some would only accept to use them in extreme situations, such as chronic diseases. Although a small minority, these cases stood out during fieldwork due to their strong convictions in this respect. This study focuses on the readiness with which others take medicines, sometimes even through the suggestions of friends and kin. Through the study of the elderly’s relations to medicines and illness, this dissertation also reveals the elderly’s perceptions of and relationships to, healthcare professionals such as doctors and pharmacists. Description: B.A.(HONS)ANTHROPOLOGY Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14427 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/10210 Title: Crowds and conclaves : encounters with gentrifiers and gentrifier types in Valletta Abstract: In this thesis I have explored the role of gentrifiers in the gentrification of Valletta. Gentrification is a chaotic concept which entails a number of variables. The role of gentrifiers has been highlighted by practically all theorists. The personal profiles and aspirations of gentrifiers have, however, often been addressed with insufficient attention to qualitative detail. In this thesis I explore the personalities and backgrounds of gentrifiers. I argue that the crucial role of gentrifiers requires that we engage in a closer scrutiny of them as individuals in order to redress the imbalance between qualitative and quantitative analysis. Description: B.A.(HONS)ANTHROPOLOGY Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/10210 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z