Wednesday, October 02, 2024

One to One - Season 2 - Updated Weekly


One To One, hosted by Prof Michael Briguglio is broadcast on Campus 103.7. It covers social, political, environmental, and cultural topics, and guests are experts in their respective fields. The programmes are being made available in on-demand format.

Topics and guests for Season 2 (October-December 2024)

1. L-ippjanar tal-lokalitajiet - X'rwol għandu l-pubbliku? Wendy Jo Mifsud

2. Il-politika għandha tiġi mgħallma fl-iskejjel? Mario Thomas Vassallo

2. X'inhi d-differenza bejn defiċit u dejn pubbliku? Charmaine Portelli

(This list is updated every week)

Topics and guests for Season 1 (July-September 2024) - Click here

#Ħsibijiet (111): Judge first, analyze later

Public Sociology (and public academia) aims to bridge various gaps between the academic world and the social contexts in which we live. I think that this is a commendable, particularly if one is promoting evidence-based policy making. On the other hand, I am wary of snackable posts, particularly on the social media, which give a verdict on an issue/event literally minutes, if not seconds, after it happened. Taking a step back to analyze, evaluate, and reflect may lend itself better to an evidence-based approach.  






Saturday, September 28, 2024

Gozo Airfield - Sociologists had asked for Social Impact Assessment in 2022

The Labour-led Xewkija Local Council has unanimously voted against the application for the development of an air strip within the limits of the locality.

This is yet another example of the need to mainstream social impact assessments in policy-making. Incidentally during the public consultation process carried out two years ago, on 23 May 2022, the MSA - Malta Sociological Association had asked for a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) on this proposal. The Planning Authority had also asked for a 'Social Impact Study', according to an article in Malta Today dated 16 January 2023.

To my knowledge, no Social Impact Assessment has been carried out.

Update:

The Gozo Regional Development Authority has issued a statement on the airfield issue , where it says that its public consultation process was open to everyone and that economic, social, and environmental considerations were considered. It also refers to the Regional Impact Assessment, published in July 2022. Chapter 7.2 (pp.51-55) deals with social impacts, and states that "the Social Impact Assessment carried out for the proposed project identified certain environmental impacts, that were highlighted in the Regional Impact Statement document, as social impacts." (p.52)

This confirms that no proper Social Impact Assessment was carried out.

Even though one appreciates the efforts of the GRDA, it is important to note that a social impact assessment is not a one-off exercise and has various features, such as those referred to by the International Association of Impact Assessment.

Given that the Xewkija Local Council is now opposing the airfield, this surely must be taken into consideration.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

2 new open access publications on Social Welfare in Southern Europe

With reference to 'Social Welfare Issues in Southern Europe', (Routledge, 2022) co-edited by Maria Brown and Michael Briguglio, the following 2 chapters are now available in Open Access Format:

- Introducing Social Welfare Issues in Southern Europe, by Michael Briguglio and Maria Brown

- An Analysis of Pertinent Issues in Education in Southern Europe, by Peter Mayo, Maria Brown, Michael Briguglio

Both chapters may be downloaded from here


Tuesday, September 24, 2024

One to One enters its second season

Radio discussion programme One To One, hosted by Prof Michael Briguglio, will be entering its second season on Campus 103.7, as from the first week of October. It covers social, political, environmental, and cultural topics, and guests are experts in their respective fields.

Programmes during the 2nd season will be broadcast every Friday at 2pm, with repetitions on Friday at 9pm and Saturday 11.30am. The programmes are also being made available in on-demand format.

A full list of programmes covered in Season 1 can be found here.

To check out updates for Season 2, click here



Sunday, August 25, 2024

#Ħsibijiet (110) Breakdown of trust

Il-kwistjoni tal-karti ta' l-identità: Apparti l-aspetti legali, amministrattivi, u politiċi, hemm aspett soċjali ukoll: Kemm nistgħu jew għandna nafdaw lill-awtoritajiet konċernati?

 


Tuesday, August 06, 2024

One To One Season 1

Discussion programme One To One, hosted by Prof Michael Briguglio is broadcast on Campus 103.7 . It covers social, political, environmental, and cultural topics, and guests are experts in their respective fields. The programmes are being made available in on-demand format.

Topics and guests for Season 1 (July-September 2024):

1. L-impatt tal-Movimenti Soċjali - Kurt Borg
2. Għandna nnaqsu l-immigrazzjoni? Maria Pisani
3. X'għandha tfisser li tkun politiku viċin in-nies? Clyde Puli
4. L-uman u l-annimal - x'hemm differenti, u x'hemm l-istess? Niki Young
5. L-Intelliġenza Artifiċjali ser toħdilna postna? Francois Zammit
6. Woke x'ikun? Andrew Azzopardi
7 L-Arti hija soċjoloġika? Valerie Visanich
8 Il-karozzi: Kulħadd jikritikhom u kulħadd jużahom Maria Attard
9. Għalfejn hawn min hu xettiku għall-farmaċewtiċi? Kay Polidano
10 It-tkabbir tal-popolazzjoni kif jaffettwa l-ekonomija? Philip Von Brockdorff
12 Kemm hemm diversita' fil-familji llum? Angela Abela
11. Fake News - Kif ninduna? - Carmen Sammut
13 Għalfejn hawn ħafna investiment fil-kostruzzjoni? Dylan Cassar


Saturday, July 20, 2024

#Ħsibijiet (109) #CheapLabour u #CheapTourism

Skond il-Ministru tal-Finanzi, il-popolazzjoni ser tilħaq is-600,000 sa l-aħħar tal-leġislatura u t-800,000 sa l-2040, jekk nibqgħu bl-istess mudell ekonomiku. Fl-istess ħin, il-Ministru tat-Turiżmu jidher li jrid iktar minn 3 miljun turist fis-sena. U l-permessi għall-iżvilupp jibqgħu ħerġin qisu għada qatt m'hu ġej. Diġà qed naraw kollass ta' l-infrastruttura. Aħseb wara x'inhu ġej jekk nibqgħu hekk.