Educators' constructions of Maltese society

Abstract

In the span of a few decades, Maltese society witnessed rapid social, cultural and political changes, transforming itself from a primarily monocultural society into a multicultural one. The introduction of progressive civil rights legislation brought forth new understandings of gender, gender identity and family constructs. The Catholic Church is slowly losing its potential to influence its followers. These changes might be seen as a threat to the moral fibre of Maltese society, or an opportunity to see beyond the insularity of an island state. The aim of this paper is to explore the yet largely uncharted waters of how Maltese educators construct Maltese society and social diversity, which ultimately influence their practices in school. The study draws on social constructionism as a theoretical framework. I argue that teachers’ constructions of, and attitudes towards social diversity in Maltese society cannot be taken out of the context in which these have been socialised, nurtured, and perhaps sustained or otherwise challenged. In-depth semi-structured interviews were held with 19 participants hailing from State, Church and Independent schools. Critical Discourse Analysis was applied to analyse the data gathered. Educators’ constructions of Maltese society and the social diversity within it reflected their location as citizens of an island nation, with some of the participants seeking to preserve their visions and traditions of an imagined community, while others looked outward and embraced change as something positive. They provided multiple constructions of Maltese society and social diversity, reflecting the geopolitics, history, religion and size of the island.