https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/132243 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:17:45 GMT 2026-04-20T19:17:45Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141123 Title: The role of cultural capital in ideation and entrepreneurship : an exploratory study from Portugal Abstract: This exploratory research study investigates the role of cultural capital in the idea formation stage of the entrepreneurial path (Galanakis & Giourka, 2017), focusing on the Portuguese context. Although entrepreneurship is an extensively researched topic, its cultural component - particularly how cultural capital shapes business ideation - remains understudied. As Bourdieu (1986) conceptualised it, cultural capital encompasses embodied, institutionalised, and objectified forms; recent contributions also acknowledge digital cultural capital as a new category. This paper aims to investigate how these four states of capital affect entrepreneurial creativity and the development of business ideas. Twelve semi-structured interviews with active entrepreneurs from Portugal helped address these issues. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the data, leading to a deeper understanding of the ideation phase within the entrepreneurial path. The findings suggest that cultural capital influences ideation at a personal, contextual and social level. These three dimensions are impacted by the embodied, institutionalised, objectified and digital forms of cultural capital - from personal habits to inherited cultural values - that are mutually dependent on each other in facilitating creative idea development. The study concludes that cultural capital has a complex and dynamic role in entrepreneurial ideas and advises more inclusion of cultural factors into entrepreneurial education and policy structures. Description: M. CI(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141123 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141072 Title: Citizen participation in Maltese democracy in 2035 : a participatory foresight activity Abstract: Democratic systems around the world are facing increasing levels of public mistrust and disengagement. In Malta, a small island State with a polarised two-party system, these challenges are further shaped by structural and cultural constraints. This study explores how Maltese citizens, social activists, and experts envision democratic participation in the year 2035 and it considers the role digital technologies might play in shaping that future. A qualitative research design was adopted, grounded in interpretivist and constructivist epistemologies. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with experts and through focus groups with citizens and social activists, guided by a participatory foresight framework. Thematic analysis identified three key themes, which informed the co-creation of future scenarios. The findings revealed: (1) a strong desire for electoral and cultural reform to enhance representation; (2) the importance of institutional change and civic education to support meaningful participation; and (3) the ambivalent role of digital technologies as both enablers and barriers. From these themes, three scenarios were developed: A New Dawn (a participatory, reform-driven future), The Downward Spiral (a trajectory of democratic decline), and The Narrow Escape (a middle-ground path of incremental change). This study offers practical insights for policymakers, educators, and civil society actors working to strengthen democratic engagement. It also contributes to academic discussions on participatory foresight and democratic innovation, particularly in small-state contexts. Description: M. CI(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141072 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141070 Title: Creative self-concept during the early years of parenthood : an exploratory study Abstract: This exploratory research study seeks to gain an understanding of a parent’s creative self-concept in the early years and in their interactions and engagement with their children aged between 18 and 36 months. The literature on creative self-concept has been on the rise in the last 10 years with a body of research focusing on the older child (school age, specifically teenagers) and possible influencing factors such as teacher influence and home climate. However, to date, studies focusing on preschool children and the possible influence of their parents’ self-concept on their engagement in creative activities is still limited. The research questions guiding this dissertation were explored by looking at parents with only one child aged between 18 months and 3 years and exploring their perception of their creative self-concept and their experience in their early parenthood experience in relation to creative engagement with their toddlers. This study seeks to explore the parents’ views on creativity, their creative self efficacy and their creative personal identity. It also seeks to better understand their own childhood experience in the context of creative endeavours and residual influence on their adulthood, the types of creative activities that they mostly engage in and also soft skills present in their own identity which they find useful. Purposive sampling was applied to conduct 11 semi-structured online interviews. The data was analysed by means of thematic analysis in order to extract the main relevant insights. The findings suggest that parents who rate their creative self-concept highly and tend to be more in favour of exposing their child to creative activities are more willing to participate in such endeavours. The study concludes that parents are highly influential on their child’s upbringing and their creative self-concept is one dynamic which forms part of a bigger picture that influences a child’s exposure to creativity. Description: M. CI(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141070 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141069 Title: Associations between critical thinking dispositions and big five personality traits in University students Abstract: Despite critical thinking being deemed a 21st-century skill necessary for the future, there has been considerable concern about inadequate critical thinking among university students. This also seems to be the case in Malta. According to the two-factor theory by Clifford et al. (2004), critical thinking comprises both disposition toward critical thinking and cognitive critical thinking skills. Although disposition toward critical thinking is a prerequisite of critical thinking skills, this is often overlooked in research focusing on critical thinking skills. Moreover, research into critical thinking disposition has yielded mixed results, particularly regarding its relationship with personality and demographic factors. This exploratory study investigates the relationship between critical thinking disposition and the Big Five personality traits, including demographic variables such as age, work experience, and parental education. The frameworks used to assess critical thinking disposition are Soso’s framework, i.e., the CTDS scale, and for Big Five personality traits, the BFI scale. After employing convenience sampling to choose a sample of postgraduate students at the University of Malta, 160 responses were collected using an online questionnaire that incorporated the research tools CTDS and BFI. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS software, which included correlation and comparison analyses. Critical thinking disposition was shown to be positively associated with the personality traits openness to experience and conscientiousness, and negatively associated with the trait agreeableness. There was no association identified between critical thinking disposition and demographics. Despite the incongruent results, these findings reveal that critical thinking disposition and the Big Five personality traits are related, which has implications for future critical thinking education. Description: M. CI(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/141069 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z