/library/oar/handle/123456789/106937 Sun, 28 Dec 2025 11:01:41 GMT 2025-12-28T11:01:41Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/122439 Title: The nascent Maltese welfare state : developments in social policy, 1920-1930 Abstract: A couple of years ago, the centenary of the Sette Giugno uprising was marked from all quarters. A one-ounce silver coin issued by the Central Bank of Malta to mark the occasion depicts a row of soldiers aiming their rifles and bayonets at an orderly row of protestors in top hats (Central Bank of Malta, 2019). A flurry of publications in Maltese and English, as well as documentaries, were produced on a scale that no other historical anniversary in Malta has probably induced until now. Indeed, even the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anġlu Farrugia, made reference—during his 2019 speech to commemorate the centenary—to a report drafted by then-governor Lord Plumer, who had written about the “unrest” among and “grievances” of local dockyard workers with respect to their English colleagues, who were ‘kept separate’ from them and received, unlike the Maltese, extra remuneration in the form of a “colonial allowance” (Department of �����������, 2019). There was no question that upheaval had been a long time coming. Rationale for this Study, Salience to Social Policy, and the Research Gap: The Sette Giugno story still manages to rouse raw emotion on all sides, and with good reason. It is also a convenient historical point which marks the start of the decade during which government policies affecting a great swathe of people were drawn up and implemented, culminating in the Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1929. The milieu on which this study focuses is vital in the way it showcases, as Midgley and Piachaud argue, that this same, sometimes benighted, British imperialism was in part responsible for creating “an enduring trajectory that continues to affect current social welfare policies and practices” (Midgely and Piachaud, 2011, p. 5). While this will be unpacked in later chapters, it is important to note at this stage the equally vital importance of Gerald Strickland in this regard, who, as Secretary to the Government and later Prime Minister, was oftentimes pivotal in getting social policies off the ground, despite incessant obstruction by other parties in the Legislative Assembly; this whilst also having been prescient with regard to some key matters decades before. 1 The need for a historic social policy overview between 1920—that is, in the immediate wake of the Sette Giugno events—to 1930 is that of serving to bring together an analysis of policies that is accessible to students of social policy history through close reference to primary sources of the period that have a wealth of both technical and observational knowledge contained within them. As such, they showcase not only the actual facts on the ground concerning social policy issues as various as food production and supplies, the teething troubles of the budding education system, and the disparate yearly inflows and outflows of migration (among others), but also what colonial government and public officials felt were the chief concerns and issues that needed to be tackled by the successive administrations of the period. These concerns never really changed in nature but rather in their level of priority. This is an aspect of twentieth-century Maltese history which is nowhere near as well-researched or attested for (at least in academic monographs) as much as Malta’s constitutional or military history, for example. Even in a mammoth book such as Frendo’s Europe and Empire: Culture, Politics and Identity in Malta and the Mediterranean, which covers the 1912-1946 period over the span of 872 pages, one need only look at the titles of most of the 22 chapters therein to realise that their main focus is political and cultural, with almost all of the crucial elements of social policy just being the backdrop against which the wider power-struggle realpolitik played out (Frendo, 2012). One possible reason for this is simply that human memory only goes so far; that is to say, whereas it is not that unlikely to remember something as violently determinative as the Sette Giugno event, with all the mythologizing and controversy that goes with it, it is far less likely that something like the aforementioned Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1929 will make it into the nation’s collective memory. The collective memory is far likelier to recall social policy changes that occurred within its lifetime. This is one possible explanation for the research gap, and this dissertation hopes, in part, to at least provide a compensatory reference point. [...] Description: M.A.(Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/122439 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/122381 Title: The role of spirituality and religion in social work practice in Malta : a social worker perspective Abstract: Spirituality is one of the important elements that is found in human experience (Payne, 2014). Many times, the terms “spirituality” and “religiosity” are used interchangeably. In the social work context, this might hinder practitioners from exploring the concepts of spirituality and/or religion (S/R) (Wiedmeyer, 2013). Research shows that social workers are not trained to value the importance of S/R and the implications of it in the lives of clients (Gilligan & Furness, 2002). On the other hand, human service professions are recognising S/R as an important strength that can help clients in their wellbeing (Wiedmeyer, 2013). This research seeks to study social workers’ perspectives on what part S/R plays in social work practice in the Maltese context; explore their understand of the concepts of S/R of social workers and the challenges and benefits of integrating S/R in their practice. A mixed methodology was adopted. A sequential design was used, where the quantitative data preceded the qualitative data (Cresswell, 2009; Manjengwa, 2020). Quantitative data from questionnaire followed by the collection and analysis of qualitative data from interviews with some of the participants who completed the questionnaire (Cresswell, 2009). The use of mixed-methods enabled to answer research questions obtaining a broad exploratory using questionnaire and to reach at a deeper meaning through the interviews. Furthermore, quantitative and qualitative data validate each other and create a firm basis to produce conclusions and evaluation. Eight four warranted social workers participated for the online questionnaire, while ten social workers enrolled to share their experience and take part in semi-structured interviews. The findings mirror available literature and emphasise the struggle experienced by social workers when it comes to define spirituality and religion and understanding its relation to practice which is also present within the Maltese context (Bonavia, 2014; Psaila, 2012). Furthermore, participants underlined how integrating S/R into practice helps to improve the social work helping relationship. For many years, few and inconsistent education was given to the social work professionals on how to answer to the needs of clients for whom S/R is significant in their life. The findings also indicate that social workers question the role of S/R, particularly in relation to the appropriate timing regarding introducing a discussion of S/R. Furthermore, the participants, similar to practitioners in other studies, are unclear as to how to respond to the client's explicit spiritual and religious need or wish (Heyman. et.al, 2006; Furness, 2003; Gilligan, 2003). Recommendations for practice and research are presented. Description: M.SW(Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/122381 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/122292 Title: The perceived effects of parental alienation on adult children’s socioemotional development in the Maltese context Abstract: This qualitative retrospective study offers an idiographic approach to the exploration of the lived experiences of twelve Maltese adults who had experienced Parental Alienation (PA) when they were younger. Recruitment was through purposive sampling in which only people who had experienced PA in their childhood and were aware of their experience were preferentially selected. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study explored how the participants’ experience with PA has impacted their life, paying special attention to their socioemotional development, extending present understanding of this phenomenon to the Maltese context. The audio-recorded interviews were then transcribed verbatim into text which became the data for analysis. The data were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis as outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006) while also including and applying a phenomenological approach to the data analysis. Five overarching themes and fifteen subthemes were identified during the analysis process. The main themes derived from the interview are 'Experience with alienating behaviours’, 'Mental health difficulties', 'Losses experienced', 'Relationship difficulties' and 'Healing and resilience'. The results attained in this study suggested that exposure to PA in early childhood and adolescence led the participants to experience low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, trust issues, difficulty in building relationships with peers and significant others and losses felt in childhood that continued well into adulthood. These findings indicated that exposure to PA did have significant effects on the participants’ socioemotional wellbeing. Description: M.SW(Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/122292 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/122235 Title: The lived experiences of migrant social workers practicing in Malta Abstract: This research explored perspectives of migrant social workers who are practising in Malta. The purpose of the study was to understand the lived experiences of foreign professionals in terms of perceived challenges and opportunities, as well as to portray how their identity as international practitioners impacts on their daily life in the local context. This phenomenon has not been studied before, thus, the research is considered to be highly relevant considering the recent influx of migrant social workers on the island. Semi-structured online interviews were carried out with five social workers. Participants had to meet the following criteria: to be of non-Maltese origin, to have previously gained their qualification in social work overseas and to be actively practising social work in Malta. The sample consisted of both males and females from EU and non-EU countries. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the participants’ lived experiences. The findings showed that migrant professionals need to face various challenges on both a professional and a personal level. Relocation to another country and navigating culturally diverse contexts is a distressing experience for all migrants. From a professional perspective, participants identified challenges such as a heavy workload, discrimination, ineffective supervision, lack of relationships as well as difficulties in communication with other organisations, difficulties in finding employment, and gaps in induction training. At the same time the migrant professionals noted various learning opportunities, ability to gain new skills, and stronger relationships with clients due to their foreign nationality, chance for a better life and the chance to explore new cultures. Considering the findings of this study, it is necessary that organisations, policy makers and local practitioners take note of the difficulties faced by migrant professionals and act to facilitate the process of integration in the professional context. It is crucial that organisations employing migrant social workers provide them with comprehensive induction trainings, revise the assigned caseloads, ensure the high standard of supervision, create an inclusive workspace, and strive to develop proper channels for multidisciplinary collaboration. Policymakers need to simplify the process of recognition of qualifications and revise the immigration laws to attract professionals from both EU and nonEU countries. Lastly, Maltese colleagues are encouraged to be more aware of the language barrier and ensure that migrant professionals feel included at the workplace. Further research is highly suggested to obtain valuable perspectives of organisations and service users on their experiences when working with migrant professionals. This qualitative study gave voice to foreign social workers and shed light on their lived experiences. Description: M.SW(Melit.) Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/122235 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z