Monday, December 27, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (85): 2021

Fl-2021 għamilt l-almu tiegħi biex, iggwidat mill-filosofija stojika, nivvaloriżża l-kwalita' tal-ħajja qabel kunsiderazzjonijiet oħra u għext bl-aħjar mod possibbli għalija u għal dawk ta' madwari. 

L-għażla tiegħi għalhekk kienet li naqsam il-ħin tiegħi bejn il-familja, il-professjoni tiegħi ta' soċjologu u l-attivitajiet li nħobb nagħmel: li ndoqq id-drums, nitgħallem, nagħmel l-eċercizzju fiżiku u nistrieħ. 

Biex inwettaq din l-għażla komplejt nitbiegħed kemm nista' mill-affarijiet, nies u attivitajiet negattivi u stressanti fil-ħajja. U ppruvajt nieħu pariri min-nies li verament jixtiquli l-ġid jew li huma mħarrġa fl-oqsma rispettivi tagħhom. L-ostakli rajthom bħala sfidi li juruk it-triq. 

Nirringrazzja minn qalbi lill-dawk qrib tiegħi u lill-ħbieb tiegħi. Rispett.

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (84): Follow #RealNews not #FakeNews


Record 582 new #Covid19 cases in Malta as #WHO warns of #Omicron surge in Europe 

#Omicron / #Covid19: I appeal that we follow reputable news sources and institutions (E.g. in links below).





I also appeal that we escape the echo-chamber of sensationalist, clickbait, absolutist, self-appointed "experts" amid the pandemic.

In these two articles I share some thoughts as a sociologist on how to navigate during Christmas and the New Year.

1. Stoic '21

2.Covid Christmas Take 2

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, keep safe.



Friday, December 03, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (83): Empty Vessels make the most noise

Fenomenu li ninnota tas-spiss fl-isfera pubblika tas-soċjeta' tagħna hi li, jkun hemm min jaqbad u jipproduċi jew jirriproduċi allegazzjonijiet dwar xi kwistjoni, jippreżentahom qishom xi vanġelu, u l-kwistjoni malajr tiġi popolariżżata jew saħansitra 'deċiża' fuq il-media soċjali. 

M'hemmx xi ngħidu, dawn il-ħabbara narċisisti u sensazzjonalisti jiddependu fuq il-likes, voti, sponsors, jew x'naf jien biex l-istorja tagħhom tinbiegħ. Iktar ma' l-aħbar tinxtered malajr, iktar igawdu: Tellieqa ta' sensazzjonaliżmu fieraħ, u nies iweġġgħu fil-proċess. Addio etika, addio evidenza, u addio li jisimgħu ilħna oħra, ma jmurx tixxellef in-narrattiva. 

Minn naħa l-oħra hemm min janaliżża l-istess kwistjonijiet bir-reqqa, bil-metodoloġiji appropriji, u bl-etika. Dan jieħu ż-żmien u jeħtieġ ir-riżorsi, il-paċenzja u l-oġġettivita'.  Biex nagħti eżempju, rapport ta' l-Awditur Ġenerali idum ferm iktar biex jiġi finaliżżat minn xi qlajja jew kontroversja fuq il-media soċjali.

Qed nibbanaliżżaw it-tagħrif u l-komunikazzjoni. Il-liberta' ta' l-espressjoni għandha tkun akkumpanjata minn sens ta' responsabilita' u sens ta' proporzjon. Deliberation, not clickbait.



Thursday, November 25, 2021

Op-ed: Covid Christmas Take 2 - Michael Briguglio

My article in today's Malta Independent discusses challenges related to Covid-19 as we enter the Christmas season.

Link:

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2021-11-25/blogs-opinions/Covid-Christmas-Take-2-6736238569




#Ħsibijiet (82): Roberta Metsola's EP candidature

Roberta Metsola's EPP candidature for the European Parliament presidency confirms her capabilities as a politician, and that small states like Malta can be significant players in global politics. Well done and good luck Roberta!



Thursday, September 30, 2021

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (82): L-immigrant li tħalla fuq il-bankina

Jekk l-allegazzjoni li ħaddiem tħalla fuq il-bankina minflok ma ttieħed l-isptar hija vera, din iġġib magħha uġiegħ kbir tal-qalb.

Fl-istess ħin, ma naqbilx ma' dawk li qed jgħidu 'Malta spiċċat' u affarijiet simili. 

Il-ħaddiem, ta' 32 sena u mill-Ghana, sab l-għajnuna u s-solidarjeta', u l-pulizija qed tieħu azzjoni. 

Fis-soċjeta' issib minn kollox, mir-razziżmu sas-solidarjeta', u ejja ma' nilludux ruħna li hemm xi soċjeta' (hemm fuq) iktar 'pura' minn tagħna.

Aħna lkoll nagħmlu parti mis-soċjeta' Maltija, u lkoll nistgħu nagħmlu l-parti tagħna għal soċjeta' aħjar. Min fis-silenzju u min le.  

Solidarjeta' mal-ħaddiem, u solidarjeta' ma kull min hu vittma ta' inġustizzja.




Thursday, September 16, 2021

Tuesday, September 07, 2021

Confirmed as board member of RN25 Social Movements within the European Sociological Association

I am pleased to announce that during the 15th conference of the European Sociological Association, I was confirmed as Board Member of Research Network 25 - Social MovementsThis research network aims to advance sociological and interdisciplinary research of contentious politics, protest and social movements.


Thursday, September 02, 2021

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Publication of paper: Mitigating seasonality patterns in an archipelago: the role of ecotourism

"Mitigating seasonality patterns in an archipelago: the role of ecotourism" co-authored by Karl Agius and myself, has been published in peer-reviewed scholarly journal Maritime Studies (Springer).

Citation: Agius, K., Briguglio, M. Mitigating seasonality patterns in an archipelago: the role of ecotourism. Maritime Studies (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-021-00238-x

Abstract:

Due to their insularity and small economies, several islands have become reliant on tourism activity for the livelihood of their communities. Islands of the same archipelago have faced various challenges in terms of tourism growth and related impact. Primarily, tourism has been characterised by seasonality (the strong spatio-temporal concentration of tourists in a destination) especially in the most peripheral islands. In other cases, tourism has grown considerably resulting in overemphasis on mass tourism throughout part of the year. This is largely experienced due to Sand, Sun and Sea (3S) tourism. Fieldwork, including interviews with key stakeholders and ecotours off-season, was conducted in the Aegadian Archipelago, off the west coast of Sicily. Findings revealed that ecotourism not only is the preferred alternative form of tourism among stakeholders but is also possible and ideal as confirmed through the ecotours. This is because different ecotourism activities can be practised all year round, thus mitigating seasonality. In return, this can help ease the financial, social and environmental challenges associated with current tourism models improving the well-being of local communities. Marine ecotourism is considered as a means to give more value to marine protected areas and to make existing tourism activity in the peak season more sustainable.

Link: Mitigating seasonality patterns in an archipelago: the role of ecotourism | SpringerLink







Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Malta protests to be discussed at SISP Conference on Political Science

My latest sociological research on protests in Malta in the Covid era will be presented in the upcoming political science conference organized by the Societa' Italiana Di Scienza Politica, which will be held online between 9 - 11 September. The research will form part of the panel on political participation, discourses and identities. 

Further information: English Guide for Participants – SISP



Thursday, August 05, 2021

Friday, July 23, 2021

ENGOs and land rationalisation in Malta

 The Maltese press reports that Environmental NGOs have lost a 14-year legal battle over the 2006 building zones extension, referred to by the Government of the time as 'rationalization' of land.

I published the following peer-reviewed article in 2012 about this matter, in the International Journal of Green Economics: 

Briguglio, Michael (2012). ‘ENGOs, EU accession and empowerment: the case of land rationalisation in Malta’, International Journal of Green Economics, 6: 3, 279-297

This paper analyses whether EU Accession has helped empower Maltese ENGOs, with specific reference to the land rationalisation issue between 2006 and 2010. This issue was characterised by the Maltese Government’s decision to extend development boundaries prior to the 2008 general elections. Malta’s environmental movement opposed this decision and lobbied at national and European levels. Even though the rationalisation issue became one of the most prominent environmental issues at the time, the environmental movement ultimately failed to change Government’s decision. This paper argues that, with respect to development of land, EU accession alone is not sufficient to empower ENGOs, as this process is mediated with other overdetermining factors.

Links:

OAR@UM: ENGOs, EU accession and empowerment : the case of land rationalisation in Malta

ENGOs, EU accession and empowerment: the case of land rationalisation in Malta | Request PDF (researchgate.net)

(99) ENGOs, EU accession and empowerment: the case of land rationalisation in Malta | Michael Briguglio - Academia.edu

ENGOs, EU accession and empowerment: the case of land rationalisation in Malta: International Journal of Green Economics: Vol 6, No 3 (inderscienceonline.com)

View article (google.com)


Thursday, July 22, 2021

Friday, July 09, 2021

Findings on LGBTIQ social movement presented at International Conference

Dr Maria Brown and Dr Michael Briguglio from the University of Malta presented findings of a study on the pro-LGBTIQ rights movement in Malta at the international workshop 'Liberal Democracy in Crisis? Dialectics of Politicization and Depoliticization'. 

The hybrid event, held 8-9th July 2021, was hosted by the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik - Croatia. The event forms part of the work programme of Working Group 1: Practices of the COST Action RECAST 'Reappraising Intellectual Debates on Civic Rights and Democracy in Europe'. 

The workshop discussion will inform the forthcoming publication Democracy in Stormy Times: Democratic crisis revisited, edited by Claudia Wiesner, Ruzha Smilova and Meike Schmidt-Gleim, to which Michael Briguglio and Maria Brown will contribute with the co-authored chapter "Repoliticising movements: The case of pro-LGBTIQ rights in Malta". Link to event programme: ProgrammeRECAST-WG1-W3-Dubrovnik-July2021.pdf (uma.es)

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (81) GreyList

L-aħbar li Malta tpoġġiet fil-greylist tal-Financial Action Task Force (FATF) m'hijiex waħda li għandna nieħdu gost biha.

Issa nistennew it-teatrini tas-soltu fuq il-media soċjali. Tribaliżmu soffokanti, tgħajjir, u pjattaformi li permezz tagħhom mingħalina li nifmhu f'kollox. Kulħadd komdu fil-bubble soċjali tiegħu. 

Ikun aħjar jekk niddeliberaw u naraw kif, fl-isferi varji, nagħmlu l-parti tagħna għas-sostenibilita' fil-politika ekonomika tagħna. Il-widnejn u l-għajnejn huma importanti daqs il-ħalq f'proċess ta' dan it-tip.  

Għal iktar tagħrif dwar il-greylisting ta' Malta:

Malta greylisted by FATF as lobbying efforts prove futile - The Malta Independent


 

Monday, June 21, 2021

Presentations on EcoTourism and Protest at International Conferences

Dr Karl Agius and Dr Michael Briguglio will be presenting their paper entitled 'Can ecotourism mitigate seasonality? The case of the Aegadian archipelago' at the international '2021 People and the Sea Conference' organised by the MARE - Centre for Maritime Research. 

In the meantime, Michael Briguglio will also be presenting his latest sociological research on protests in Malta during 2020 at the following international conferences: 'The 13th Interpretive Policy Analysis conference' (https://ipa2021.net) and 'Convengo 2021 - Societa' Italiana Di Scienza Politica' https://www.sisp.it/ . Briguglio also recently presented at the 25th 'Alternative Futures & Popular Protest'  (University of Manchester) (www.movements.manchester.ac.uk/afpp/afpp-2021/)

Dr. Karl Agius recently participated in the Islands of the World: Sharing Lessons, Sharing Stories conference organised by the International Small Island Studies Association (ISISA). During the conference he presented his latest publication ''The EcoTourism Hub: A joint cross-border marketing strategy for peripheral islands published in Shima (https://www.shimajournal.org/article/10.21463/shima.124.pdf)



Thursday, June 10, 2021

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Family Life in the State of the Nation survey

 The ‘State of the Nation’ survey, published on Friday, aimed to explore the values, norms and aspirations that define the Maltese. I was asked by the Times of Malta to give my views on the data relating to family life. You can read it here:

What the experts say about 'State of the Nation' survey results (timesofmalta.com)




Saturday, May 22, 2021

Public Consultation on Malta's post-Covid recovery plans - My submission.

Re. Public Consultation on Thematic Areas underpinning Malta’s National Post Pandemic Strategy



To the Ministry for Research, Innovation and The Co-Ordination of Post Covid-19 Strategy 


1. I fully endorse the proposals made by the Malta Sociological Association on the matter. Link: http://www.maltasociologicalassociation.com/2021/05/press-release-post-covid-strategy-malta.html


2. I also wish to comment about Telework (Remote Working):

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out last March, there was a strong governmental push to ensure that as many workers as possible work from home. Previously, such work was restricted often to parents of young children and more often than not, within the public sector. Various workers in the public sector were given the option to choose to telework for a number of hours per day or days each week. But this depended on the discretion of an organisation’s director, and not everyone was sensitive to the needs and advantages of this method. In the private sector, the situation depended on various factors and needs. A proper social-scientific analysis of such situations would provide evidence for policy making. In the post-Covid policy process, it is important  to factor in the possibility of unintended consequences due to lack of broad deliberation with various stakeholders. For example, workers’ preferences and diverse situations should be given due importance. Whilst for many workers – from office workers, to digital nomads and various professionals - teleworking is most welcome, for others this may result in precariousness and even more stress in relation to the work-life balance if not regulated well. For example, in unequal family settings, this may result in a double shift for women. Due consideration to the perils of surveillance on workers and the right to disconnect need to be factored in too. Hence, whilst the upgrading of teleworking legislation is most welcome, it is important to factor in the various social, economic, and technological ramifications and to cater for the diversity of family set-ups, employment characteristics and everyday situations of workers.


3. In the post-Covid process, Government should factor in the various levels of policy implementation, such as those related to institutional set ups and personal behaviour respectively. Each one of us has a role to play in the interpretation and implementation of the government’s measures. We are products and producers of society at the same time. Hence, a high vaccination rate coupled with appropriate social distancing can hypothetically help our society move towards ‘normality’. In the meantime, these variables intersect with other social realities, including Malta’s smallness, the partisan divide, the impacts of and on different economic sectors, and variables which may not even have been anticipated. The behaviour of each and every one of us thus needs to be contextualised, resulting in possible different outcomes. For example, an ideal case scenario would be to have lower Covid-19 and R rates, an increased sense of optimism among the public, conformity to directives issued by authorities, and a sense of normality in fields such as the economy, culture, and society. On the other hand, Covid-anxiety might still persist even if Covid-figures improve. Or conversely, Covid-figures may remain worrying, but we may get tired of restrictions with respect to our needs and wants. Not to mention the fact that different individuals and groups in society may interpret and act upon each possible situation in different ways. For example, the way that the government and opposition react to change may influence people’s trust or lack of it in the measures being taken. At the same time, however, it is interesting to note that to date, Maltese society has shown quite a high level of communitarian behaviour, for example through social distancing and vaccine take-up rates. In turn, these different possibilities can be impacted in different ways, for example through the influx of tourists.

4.  Tourism can act as a double-edged sword in this regard. On the one hand it can help fuel a rise in Covid-19 rates, and on the other it can provide a badly-needed economic injection. Let us keep in mind that assistance to businesses through national and EU funding is not unlimited. Widespread consultation with experts and stakeholders is required to ensure that we do not repeat mistakes like last year’s.

5. Whilst I understand the government’s need to plan a timeline to return to a post-covid situation, I think that it would be more realistic to interpret all this as a social process without a clear cut-off date, but with a myriad of changes and impacts which take place across time and space. It is important to take heed of lessons learned during the process, whether related to facemask-wearing and social distancing, or to opportunities and constraints of remote working and flexibility, and the intersection of medical, economic, social, political, cultural, and other factors at individual, societal, national, and transnational levels.




Friday, May 21, 2021

Protests in Malta at Manchester Movements Conference

I will be presenting my paper Protests in the year of COVID19 – The case of Malta during the
25th edition of Alternative Futures and Popular Protest, which will take place online from 7-9th June 2021. I will be presenting during Session 1A, on Monday 7 June between 1130-1300.

My research presents and discusses physical protests that took place in Malta during 2020 – the year of Covid19 - and which gained media coverage in Malta’s main independent newspapers. The paper will analyse the issues, organisations, coalitions, venues and type of protests in question. This will provide comparative analysis during the year through discourse/frame analysis, which in turn can be compared to upcoming research of protests in subsequent years. The study will look at the groups and organisations that make up the collective actions in question; the events that form the action repertoire; and the ideas that guide the protests. In turn, the study will look into the networks and the broader context in which movements are protesting, which in this case concerns the specific characteristics of movement and political activism in Malta as a small EU member state.

The  Alternative Futures and Popular Protest conference is organised by movements@manchester (University of Manchester), a group of social science researchers who share an interest in social movements, political protest, cultural politics and social change.

To register and view programme, please check out this link:



Thursday, May 13, 2021

Another Labour victory? Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses the electoral prospects of Malta's political parties. You can read the article from this link:




 

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Sunday, April 25, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (80) Vaccination and Cross-Party Consensus

I believe that one reason why Malta's Covid-19 vaccination drive is so successful is because there is cross-party consensus on this, putting country before party. Thumbs up to both Chris Fearne and Stephen Spiteri, and to non-parliamentary forces for acting responsibly on this. Some so called 'advanced societies' are miles away from this feat, with anti-vaxx sentiment gaining ground.



Thursday, April 22, 2021

WIPSS Seminar - Protests in the year of Covid - The case of Malta - Michael Briguglio

 


WIPSS - Convened by Peter Mayo, Michael Briguglio, Francois Zammit

Protests in the year of Covid– The case of Malta

Speaker: Dr Michael Briguglio

Monday 10 May 18:30

Zoom link: https://universityofmalta.zoom.us/j/94384248891

Facebook event page: (10) Protests in the Year of Covid, The Case of Malta | Facebook

This research presents and discusses physical protests that took place in Malta during 2020 – the year of Covid19 - and which gained media coverage in Malta’s main independent newspapers.

The paper will analyse the issues, organisations, coalitions, venues and type of protests in question. This will provide comparative analysis during the year, which in turn can be compared to upcoming research of protests in subsequent years.

The study will look at the groups and organisations that make up the collective actions in question; the events that form the action repertoire; and the ideas that guide the protests.

In turn, the study will look into the networks and the broader context in which movements are protesting, which in this case concerns the specific characteristics of movement and political activism in Malta as a small EU member state.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Monday, April 12, 2021

Call for papers: Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States

A scholarly book on Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States is being proposed for publication by Routledge. 

In this regard, authors wishing to be considered to author a chapter of this book may wish to send an abstract to michael.briguglio@um.edu.mt 

The coverage of the chapter can be just one small state or a group of small states at the regional or global level. The chapter should be about 6500 words long (including references and appendices), and is to be submitted by the end of this year. Please feel free to share this post to other persons who might be interested in submitting a chapter of the book.



Thursday, April 01, 2021

Free Speech, Fake Speech - Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses challenges related to free speech and fake speech in democratic societies. You can read the article here:

Free speech, fake speech - The Malta Independent

 


Friday, March 26, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (79) Roads, Trees and Social Impacts - Michael Briguglio

The current protest by Moviment Graffitti in Dingli and Government's reaction exemplifies the role of social movements in democratic societies. Graffitti's protest repertoire is particularly visible in Malta's public sphere. 

A society without protests is like an ecology without evolution, but on the other hand governments have legitimate authority through democracy. So how can such controversies be tackled? 

Moviment Graffitti's call for dialogue echoes so many other examples of civil society claims about lack of transparent public consultation, particularly on development of land, over the years and under different administrations. 

A few days before the European and Local Elections in 2019, Government, through the Planning Authority, announced a public consultation process for social impact assessments (SIAs).  It would be highly relevant for policy development and implementation, in different areas, to comprise such impact assessments, which in turn should be deliberative and continuous, and not mere rubber stamping or one-off procedures.

I was one of those who sent my proposals to the SIA consultation process, which, in turn were based on the SIA guidelines of the International Association for Impact Assessment. Unfortunately this consultation exercise was not followed up by the same Government. SIAs will not stop political differences, which, after all are essential in democracy, but they can help deliver deeper and more inclusive public consultation.

This takes us to the concept of 'pragmatic adversarialism' proposed by scholars Ralph Tafon, David Howarth and Steven Griggs, which in their words  "highlights the deeply entrenched role of politics in negotiating differences, as rival projects endeavour to impose their wills, while the pragmatic element speaks to the cultivation of an appropriate ethos that should animate those involved in struggle. Adversaries are thus not enemies intent on each other’s mutual destruction, but nor are they just competitors who bargain about outcomes with a fixed set of preferences. Instead, adversaries are encouraged vigorously to espouse their values and ideals, while acknowledging the right of rival forces to articulate and promote their views with equal passion. Indeed, because the expression of divergent ideals can enhance the development and canvassing of a wide spectrum of possible practices, organizational forms and policy outcomes, sharp contestations about outcomes are both inevitable and desirable. In short, in the interests of achieving durable settlements that are legitimate and acceptable to affected citizens, pragmatic adversarialism offers a desirable mode of reaching workable agreements in public controversies".

Photo: The Malta Independent




Tuesday, March 23, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (78) - Hate Speech, Fake News and Ethical Standards - Michael Briguglio

In today's Malta Independent I commented about the hate speech situation in Malta, together with University of Malta colleagues Brenda Murphy and JosAnn Cutajar.

You can read the feature here:

How can we counter online hate speech? It still remains on the rise despite resistance - The Malta Independent

Some further comments from my end:

There are trolls, fake profiles and keyboard warriors who seem to have no problem using abusive language on social media platforms like Facebook. Among the reasons why such language is so present I would assume that as a small island state, many are engaged in hyperpersonal politics which is based on loyalty towards one’s tribe, thus considering the ‘other’ as being wrong merely because of his or her affiliation or non-affiliation. 

Yet we also witness hate speech on the basis of race, gender and other social factors, including personal ones, which is also the case across social media platforms around the world. For example last week AP News reported that white supremacist propaganda surged in the USA last year. This can be linked to the rise of snackable media, the speed of which may impact the quality of deliberation negatively, the strong presence of politics and activism which refuses to engage with the ‘other’, and the challenges faced by policy projects which focus on responsibility and ethics.
  
I commend recent efforts made by social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, wherein they inform readers that the reliability of a source is doubtful or fake. In liberal democratic societies, free speech is a basic right, but readers also have the right to know that the information they are being given is correct. 

At the same time, I also believe that we need a stronger framework for responsible communication. For example, academics are bound by ethical standards when they present findings or quote other studies, and this is only fair. Similarly, ethical standards or norms could bind journalists, politicians, candidates, activists, influencers, bloggers and even the general public. We need to invest more in education through which social media users can be equipped how to distinguish between a reliable source and a fake one, a proper journalist and a self-appointed one, a scientist and a quack. Ethical standards can be set up amongst political and journalistic communities, for example to double-check sources before splashing slogans.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (77) It-terremot tal-bieraħ

It-terremot tal-bieraħ m'għandux iħallina niġru bl-emozzjonijiet, fejn inħallu t-tribaliżmu joqtol id-deliberazzjoni. Speċjalment jekk irridu politika ħielsa mill-korruzzjoni.

F'demokrazija huwa naturali li jkun hemm pressjoni għall-ġustizzja u governanza tajba. Huwa sinjal tajjeb ukoll li l-isituzzjonijiet legali jidher li qed jagħmlu xogħolhom. Huma l-qrati li għandhom jiddeċiedu dwar dawn il-kwistjonijiet, permezz tal-proċess legali, u mhux il-likes fuq il-Facebook.

F'dak li għandu x'jaqsam mal-proċess politiku, ikun tassew utli jekk ikun hemm qbil bejn in-naħat kollha dwar finanzjament trasparenti u kontabbli, dwar meritokrazija u mhux partitokrazija, dwar rispett lejn l-avversarju u mhux mibgħeda, u dwar teħid tad-deċiżżjonijiet b'mod li ma jiddependix mill-interessi li jiddettaw minn wara l-kwinti (u xi kultant apertament ukoll). Tajjeb ukoll li l-elezzjonijiet ma jkunux tellieqa ta' min iwiegħed l-iktar anke meta dan imur kontra l-ġid komuni. 

                                                    (Stampa: The Malta Independent)

Monday, March 08, 2021

#Ħsibijiet (76) Party political stations?

A current subject under scrutiny in Malta's media and legal spheres concerns party political stations' right to exist. 

Like everyone else, I have my own preferred media, and I trust some sources more than others. I even have the privilege of airing my views in media houses which host me, to whom I am grateful. But that doesn't give me a monopoly over the truth, over what others should watch, read or hear. 

Also, I am not a constitutional expert and I leave legal matters to experts in the field. If I wanted legal advice I would seek it from a lawyer. 

But from a sociological perspective I consider party political stations to be part of the public sphere just as other media is.
 
One may dislike party political stations, their methods, and what they stand for, but one thing is clear: You know what their agenda is. You may despise it, but you know what its ultimate goal is. Can we say the same of all other media outlets, portals, blogs and so forth? By agenda I am referring to ideological orientation/s, direct/indirect affiliations and networks, behind the scenes operations, personal goals and funding sources. 

Sometimes, one can get a good idea of all this for example through which stories are emphasized, who is picked on, who is spared scrutiny and what is elbowed out of the respective news agenda. Not to mention other factors such as speed, snackability and reliability of news, in a media simulacrum where suddenly everyone can self-proclaim oneself to be an expert of everything, in a competition for audiences. 

Transparency and accountability are paramount, and this holds for all media outlets, and not just those belonging to political parties. These include newspapers, radio stations, blogs, news portals, Facebook news pages, vlogs and so forth. And in today's world nobody is forcing people to watch political party TV or radio stations. Not to mention that time and again, including presently, there have been various instances of programmes, shows, blogs and vlogs which captured huge audiences despite not being produced or endorsed by any political party.
  
As I see it, competition between narratives and discourses (including fake news), the media and the journalistic profession should be subject to standards, evidence-based reporting, equitable rights and responsibilities within a pluralistic and liberal democratic framework. I wouldn't want the media sphere to be dominated by a monolithic state or partisan propaganda. But neither would I want it to be dominated by agendas which are not always transparent or accountable to democratic norms. 

Let the audience decide what to watch. In the meantime, invest more in education related to social, political and media matters. Let us invest in a more reflexive society, rather than dictating to people which news outlets they should follow. 

Thursday, March 04, 2021

Zero Enforcement - Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent deals with what I am defining as the 'Micro Politics of Everyday Life', in relation to lack of enforcement in Malta.

You can read the article here:

Zero Enforcement - The Malta Independent



Thursday, February 04, 2021

Wednesday, February 03, 2021

New Publication: The Daphne Protests at the end of 2019. A Chronology - Michael Briguglio

My latest peer-reviewed article, 'The Daphne Protests at the end of 2019 - A Chronology' has just been published in the Social Conflict Yearbook 2019, by the Observatory of Social Conflict, University of Barcelona.

The article (in English) may be accessed and downloaded from this link:

Las protestas por el asesinato de Daphne Caruana. Una cronología | Briguglio | Anuario del Conflicto Social (ub.edu)

Abstract: This article deals with the escalation of protests in Malta concerning the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia at the end of 2019. The well attended protests continued the trend of civil society activism since the murder of the journalist in 2017. They were characterised by the creation of a broad coalition of social movement organisations, and the eventual resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. 

Keywords: Malta, Daphne Caruana Galizia, Civil Society, Joseph Muscat, Social Movements, Protest

Reference: Briguglio, Michael (2020): The Daphne Protests at the end of 2019 - A Chronology. In: Social Conflict Year Book. Observatory of Social Conflict: Barcelona DOI: 10.1344/ACS2020.10.11

My full list of academic publications can be accessed here:

Michael Briguglio's Blog: My sociological publications (mikes-beat.blogspot.com)



Thursday, January 28, 2021

Call for papers RN25 Social movements at the 15th conference of the European Sociological Association

The following call for papers refers. I am a board member of RN25.

Michael Briguglio

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 Call for papers RN25 Social movements at the 15th conference of ESA

DEADLINE  FOR ABSTRACTS EXTENDED TO 1 MARCH 2021


 

The 15th conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA) will be held on August 31 to September 3 in Barcelona. The conference will most likely be a hybrid conference in which it will be possible to participate both on site and online (updates on this will come on the conference website). The Research Network on Social Movements (RN25) calls for papers providing theoretical and empirical contributions to current debates on social movements, including but not limited to: 

Ø  spatial and temporal dynamics of collective action

Ø  the interplay between movements and their political/discursive/legal context

Ø  the connections between non-violent action and political violence  

Ø  the connections between contentious and electoral politics  

Ø  the strategic use of protest tactics

Ø  dynamics within and between social movements organisations  

Ø  the role of discourse, framing and narratives in social movements

Ø  populist and radical right movements

Ø  political repression in authoritarian and non-authoritarian states

Ø  online dimensions of mobilization

Ø  the impact of collective action

Ø  urban uprisings and popular revolts

Ø  youth and minority activism.

Comparative works that connect theory and empirical analysis, as well as innovative methodological approaches are particularly encouraged. The section aims to stimulate the debate on the accumulated knowledge and evidence produced in the last years on social movements. We welcome submissions coming from different disciplinary fields. The evaluation criteria of abstracts are: quality and clarity of the research question; clarity of the theoretical argument; the description of the main methodology and data; theoretically original contribution and discussion of available knowledge; relevance and pertinence to central themes within social movement research. 

 

At the conference RN25 Social movements also organizes a joint session with the Environmental Sociology group:


Climate movements: Contemporary Developments and Challenges

Mitigating, or adapting to, global warming is probably the most consequential political issue of the 21st century. While the world as we know it is increasingly threatened, political action to deal with climate change has been slow and, as yet, far from sufficient. The climate movement continues to struggle and but is faced with numerous challenges, recently including the Covid-19 pandemic. This joint session welcomes research on climate mobilizations not only in Europe and the Global North, but also in the Global South. Priority is given to contributions that address broader issues of relevance to the climate movement as a whole, including conditions affecting mobilization and movement outcomes, movement strategizing as well as fundamental challenges common to climate mobilizations over the world.

 

To submit Abstracthttps://www.europeansociology.org/conftool-0/abstract-submission