https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/117171 Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:08:19 GMT 2026-07-27T20:08:19Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119418 Title: The Ta’ Qali Crafts Village : a catalyst for the consolidation of traditional crafts Abstract: In an era that is dominated by mass production and rapid technological advancement, it is imperative that we reflect on and appreciate the traditional crafts that have been passed down through generations. The approach to the creation of these crafts is slower, and the artisan’s craftsmanship and attention to detail results in a unique creation that is impossible to replicate with machines. The preservation of traditional crafts is not merely an act of nostalgia: traditional crafts form part of our cultural identity and are a bridge between the past and the future. Traditional crafts are the result of age-old techniques that have been perfected over several years and represent a profound understanding of the materials and processes used. The preservation of traditional crafts is an acknowledgement of the value of these unique handmade crafts. For this reason, passing down the knowledge and skills of the master artisans to the younger generations is important to safeguard the cultural legacy that we have inherited. This research aims to identify those factors through which the Crafts Village and all the relevant stakeholders together can preserve and promote Malta’s cultural heritage for generations to come. The research design involved interviews with several stakeholders including established artisans, heritage specialists, as well as documentary research from museums, policy documents, and numerous published sources. Working in the area also allowed for a considerable immersion in the research area. The analysis below highlights the importance of education and vocational training, the value of experience of the skilled artisans, while critically exploring the role of a business environment such as the crafts village which brings together potentially conflicting needs. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119418 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119417 Title: Military heritage : documentary attitudes towards pillboxes in Malta Abstract: The construction of pillboxes in Malta began in earnest in 1938 as part of a comprehensive defence strategy, to counter the potential invasion by Italian forces who had recently invaded Abyssinia. Initially, the pillboxes were built in the vulnerable northern part of the island (Malta), but later they were scattered throughout the entire island. By the end of the war, it is estimated that around 200 pillboxes had been constructed. After the war, these structures underwent various fates, including demolition, abandonment, leasing, and occupation by squatters. This study aims to explore the national heritage value of pillboxes, highlighting how their preservation and conservation can enhance our understanding of these intriguing structures and provide unique opportunities for adaptive and sustainable reuse. The study will examine their architectural characteristics and evaluate public perception towards them. To conduct this research, an extensive review of relevant literature was undertaken. Additionally, three qualitative research studies were conducted. These included one-to-one interviews with an expert panel, an online survey utilizing image-based questionnaires to assess various pillboxes, and another online survey to gauge participants' perceptions and attitudes towards pillboxes as a heritage asset. Furthermore, an appraisal including non-invasive assessment, was carried out on several pillboxes in the Inwadar Park to evaluate the extent of material deterioration and the state of repair. This presents a critical component in view of their valorisation and management. Overall, it became evident that there is a notable lack of awareness regarding the value of pillboxes as an integral part of the local heritage. This lack of awareness can be attributed to the negative associations often linked with concrete structures and the limited information provided by the education system, which historically focused on specific periods of history. The main conclusion drawn from this research is the pressing need for increased education and information campaigns to raise awareness. Furthermore, it is essential to establish a comprehensive and sustainable management plan for the preservation of pillboxes, incorporating adaptive reuse strategies. This holistic approach will ensure the long-term safeguarding and appreciation of these significant historical assets. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119417 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119395 Title: Elements of national identity in children’s literature : a Maltese case study Abstract: This research presents the social and academic relevance of two topics amalgamated together, concerning one type of identity and one genre of literature: national identity and children’s literature. This compound has been substantially assessed in the foreign scenario, but not as much locally. The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the validity of the concept of national identity in local literature for children. Is Maltese national identity being transmitted in books for children? If yes, how have the philosophies behind such notion evolved with time? This thesis assembled a general overview of the European setup, with which the Maltese setting was compared and contrasted. Sharing the same age of modern nation states, children’s literature in Europe has come a long way. It started by exhibiting nationness and serving the interests of national construction, and advanced, in the 1960s and 1970s, by deconstructing national identity, arriving at mediating national traumas and crises in the beginning of the twenty-first century. This research argues, however, that local development was delayed, mainly due to Britain’s long colonisation of Malta from 1800 to 1979. It was only after the granting of Maltese Independence on 21 Sep. 1964 that local children’s literature began to represent the Maltese nation – rather than that of the coloniser – in its narratives. Books specifically written for children initiated their journey as a celebration of national pride, lasting well until the end of the twentieth century. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, children’s books appeared to be slowly progressing into an exhibition of a mélange of virtuous elements appertaining to Maltese identity as well as unpleasant national concerns requiring fixing. This development marked a local literary metamorphosis which was finally not merely ushering in a new forma mentis for Maltese children’s literature, but simultaneously proposing an evolved meaning of national identity to Maltese children. To demonstrate how children’s literature reflecting a country’s identity can transcend from an opportunity for self-identification to a prospect for refining one’s nation through further consciousness, a Maltese case study ensued. The latter incorporated data from one-to-one interviews and national identity exercises conducted with a variety of stakeholders for a holistic conduct of research. This study investigated whether two local prominent children’s authors include elements of Maltese national identity in their works for children, and whether two local leading publishing houses are vigilant to publish children’s stories that include elements conveying Maltese identity. It also inquired if parents search for stories containing characteristics of Maltese identity when buying or borrowing books for their children, and if the latter particularly choose narratives reflecting their nation, or if they simply look for books that have good plots. Factors – in both text and illustration – that children (and parents) detect as features defining who they are as a nation were also examined, requiring the participation of two parents and three children, and the use of eight books in total as samples. This research’s results demonstrate that in children’s literature, which is really and truly adults’ work for children, the onus falls upon authors, illustrators and, to a certain extent, publishers, to use this genre as a vehicle for the transmission of national identity. Irrelevant whether this dissemination happens intrinsically or unconsciously, explicitly or implicitly, children’s books portraying the nation potentially help youngsters, at the receiving end of this interchange, relate better, or, with the newly suggested mindset, advocate an improved version of who they are. Their reading of such books nurtures their national identity, validating the fundamental link existing between children’s literature and children’s sense of identity. This study paves the way for further future investigations – possibly involving more samples – relating to this significant ever-evolving concept, national identity, and this important distinct genre of national literature, children’s literature. Description: M. Malt. St.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119395 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/117672 Title: Maltese fishing villages : the fishers’ changing identities Abstract: This research focuses on the key protagonists of the Maltese fishing enterprise; the fishermen. Fish has become an everyday commodity and staple food, yet, given contemporary and complex supply chains systems, it is easy to forget the people who source this food for the costumer. To raise more awareness, and to generate an appreciation of fishermen, this research will explore their sense of identity and their own rationalisation of their existence. This study will open a window unto their world for a better appreciation of a community of people who are as colourful as their beautiful traditional fishing boats. Fishermen faced hard, yet natural dangers in the past. However, although today their life is made safer thanks to technology, they now face certain complexities, problems, and anxiousness most of which ensue from legislations and commercial interests that threaten their existence. Indeed, the fishermen’s resilience is being put to the test each day albeit via completely new challenges that are a reflection of the changes society has gone through over the last decades. Even though technology has made it possible for fisheries to substantially grow into industrial enterprises, small-scale fisheries continued to make use of traditional fishing methods. Since their fishing gear is both passive and selective, small-scale fishermen have always managed to make a living for themselves and their families whilst respecting nature’s delicate balance. This is further accentuated by their seasonal switching to different species which enables stocks to recuperate while others are being targeted. To this end, small-scale fishermen have always adapted to nature’s needs rather than exploit nature to meet theirs. Their sustainability, coupled with an array of other advantages, highlight the need to protect them which can only be achieved by understanding them. This research thus aims to capture an accurate a picture as possible of the Maltese small-scale fishery within an international context, with the information provided rendered even more relevant seeing as the greater part of the worldwide fisheries, as with the Maltese fishery, is small-scale in nature. Being from Marsaxlokk, undisputedly the archipelago’s main fishing village with strong familial ties with the sea, the subject has always piqued my interest. With paternal grandparents and their predecessors having been full-time fishers followed by my father who opted to being a part-timer with no fisher offspring to continue the legacy, a reality which is experienced by most fisher families, it soon became apparent that the small-scale sector is phasing out; a phenomenon which required explanations. Answers could only be provided through investigation and analyses, which gave rise to this research. The idea of delving into the subject was originally borne from the need to contribute to my village’s heritage. Seeing as I could not do so by taking up fishing myself, I went about it by researching on the subject which, back in 2013, translated in my Master’s degree dissertation. Recognising the need to expand the territory and provide as wholesome a picture as possible of the Maltese small-scale fishing community, I decided to level up the research by including an array of fishing communities as found in different localities which bear an affinity to fishing. Some villages thus associated have already phased out whereas others have all but disappeared with few fishermen left to voice their concerns. Each subject area was researched in its entirety until all the possibilities were exhausted and the interrelationships which are leading to the fishermen’s predicament have been explored. The contributing factors of those holding on against all odds have been studied and presented with the hope that action is taken to stabilise the situation and, preferably, to reverse the damage by catering for the sector’s needs in a bid to ensure their survival. If left unchecked, an entire subculture with traditional and cultural ties deeply rooted in Maltese history and who remained true to the local identity, will be lost. […] Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/117672 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z