Human Society

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

1. A society is made up of a number of people who have things in common, or shared interests.
2. Society, however, is not simply a number of individuals put together; it involves having reciprocal relations.
3. Society is the people who are constantly interacting with one another.
4. the things in common which the members of society have are values.

Question 2

Socialisation Process

Answer 2

1. Values and norms are those unwritten laws which tell us how we should behave.
2. They tell us what acceptable behaviour is and what it is not.
3. These values and norms are different in every culture; therefore, behaviour and lifestyle differ from one culture to another.
4. It is only through education that we members of society get to know and internalise these values and norms.

Question 3

Informal Education – Socialisation

Answer 3

Socialisation is the process through which one learns the values of culture in the society in which he/she is a member. This is done through relationships with other members of the same culture. Socialisation is divided into two processes:

1. Primary Socialisation – relationships with immediate family members.This is done in the early years of childhood.
2. Secondary Socialisation – relationships with friends, co-workers, and
   other members of society. This is done throughout the rest of life. Therefore, education is a life-long process.

Question 4

Norms and Values as means of social cohesion

Answer 4

1. Values are the basis of norms, and these are unwritten laws which dictate how members should behave.
2. For example, there is no written law which says we should not spit, but we still do not do it as other members of society will not accept it and there may be consequences.
3. When there are common and shared values, one achieves what is called social cohesion.
4. Normal behaviour is that behaviour which is accepted by everyone in a society.
5. But society is made up of different people who are ultimately individuals and free to behave as they please.
6. Those who conform to society’s norms are considered as ‘normal’, while those who do not conform are called deviants.

Question 5

Deviants

Answer 5

1. Deviants are those people who differ in their values and behaviour from the ‘normal’ people.
2. Deviants get together and form subgroups with their own values (sub-cultures).
3. Examples of sub-groups are Catholics in a Muslim community or drug addicts.

Question 6

An Education for global citizenship

Answer 6

Education for global citizenship is necessary to have an educational system which enables students to live in a world that:

a) Promotes the values of solidarity, peace, recognition of the other, justice, equality and care for the planet.
b) Is founded on the defence of human dignity, and in the promotion of human rights.

These points are achieved through various ways which are carried out throughout the world.

Question 7

Ekoskola

Answer 7

1. Ekoskola is an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help push in these principles into the heart of school life.
2. Eco-Schools is a programme for environmental management, certification, and sustainable development education for schools.
3. Its holistic, participatory approach and combination of learning and action make it an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path for improving the environments of schools and their local communities, and for influencing the lives of young people, school staff, families, local authorities, NGOs, and more.
4. Ekoskola is one of the various environmental education programmes run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Question 8

Young Reporters for the Environment

Answer 8

1. This is also run by the FEE.
2. Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is an international network of secondary school teachers and pupils, represented in 17 countries.
3. Each group involved defines its own investigation project about an environmental issue, with the goal being to communicate relevant information to the public.
4. The programme has two levels of activity.
5. At the local level the students carry out journalistic enquiries of a problem, linking environmental and scientific issues, and report it to the local community via their chosen media (local press, radio, television, conference, exhibitions).
6. At the International level the students cooperate with young reporters from other countries making use of the Internet to share information and produce joint articles.

Question 9

Global Education Week

Answer 9

1. This is a global organisation which promotes and tries to achieve an educational system for everyone throughout the world.
2. Having a basic educational system is one of the most fundamental human rights, and having a good level of education is the only means to improve in life – having a better quality of life.

Question 10

Global Action Schools

Answer 10

1. The Global Action Schools project is a partnership between organisations in seven countries (Austria, Czech Republic, England, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Thailand).
2. It aims to harness the extraordinary potential of schools to shape some of the solutions to pressing world issues.
3. This system aims are to enable children and young people to:
   
   • a) make sense of global development issues in the world
   • b) understand that their actions can have a positive impact on people many miles away
   • c) link learning to the role they can play in creating a fairer and more sustainable world.
   • d) Materials explore how small changes in the day-to-day running of schools can have a positive impact on life in developing countries.

Question 11

Connectando Mundos

Answer 11

1. The aim of this programme is to encourage and support intercultural dialogue between children of different social and geographic environments.
2. It also tries to facilitate effective cooperative work through ICT that makes possible the mutual knowledge, allowing sharing of different realities and discovering common problems, based on the motto “think generally, act locally”.
3. It ultimately aims for students to realise what causes the fact that the majority of the world’s population cannot satisfy their basic needs and lack opportunities and rights, and to jointly elaborate a proposal commitment to change this reality.

Question 12

Malta’s contribution to the peace process in Europe and the Mediterranean region following its Independence

Answer 12

1. Since Malta became an independent state in 1964, it adopted a foreign policy of neutrality in order to stand as an example of peace with other nations.
2. Malta was the venue for very important international events such as the meeting between former US President George Bush and former President of the Soviet Union Michael Gorbachev in December 1989.
3. The purpose behind this meeting was to end the Cold War between Western and Eastern superpowers and the dissolution of the Communist Soviet Union.
4. In 2005 and 2015, Malta was chosen for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, better known as CHOGM.
5. Many topics were discussed during this meeting, but mostly mass migration (mostly illegal), agriculture, and terrorism.

Question 13

Human Resources

Question 14

Lifelong Education

Answer 14

1. Education is not just about getting a certificate.
2. Education refers to the entire process of social life by means of which one develops personal capacities, attitudes, aptitudes, and knowledge fully for the benefit of the self and the community (UNESCO definition).
3. The traditional institution that is seen to offer this is a school, but there are plenty of educational opportunities outside the school.
4. Mass media, literature, voluntary organisations, and hobby societies can each educate the individual in developing skills, knowledge and attitude to life in general.
5. In Malta, we see that lifelong education is recognised and given importance through adult courses such as Free ECDL courses and a variety of part-time courses offered by MCAST.

Question 15

Schooling in Malta

Answer 15

Schooling in Malta is compulsory from the ages of six to sixteen.

1. Primary Level – 5-11 years
2. Secondary Level – 11-16 years. At the end of this level students may sit for their O level examinations.
3. Post-Secondary Level – this level of education is not compulsory. It starts from the age of 16 till the age of 18, leading to the A levels and a possible entry to the University of Malta.
4. All of the above levels are offered by the government, church, and also private schools.
5. Tertiary Education – University of Malta

Question 16

Education as means of human resource management

Answer 16

1. We human beings are also a resource which should be developed and used especially in a country which lacks natural resources like Malta.
2. Although small and lacking raw materials, the Maltese economy depends very much on its human resources (workers).
3. We must continue to upgrade and strengthen this resource by means of regular training and education, e.g. in-service courses.

Question 17

Population

Question 18

The increase in population

Answer 18

1. Not everyone across the world enjoys the same level of health. One of the ways that we can judge how healthy people are is to look at the indicator of life expectancy.
2. This is the average age that the population of a country can expect to live to.
3. It is clear that most countries with a high life expectancy are the wealthiest countries.
4. This is due to many factors:
   
   1. medical advances making some diseases rare,
   2. improved nutrition,
   3. better access to clean water,
   4. improved sanitation,
   5. better health education and care,
   6. a better standard of housing.

Question 19

Natural increase

Answer 19

1. Natural increase is the balance between birth rates and death rates.
2. Natural increase is currently taking place (the world’s population is increasing) because birth rates exceed death rates.

Question 20

Birth rates

Answer 20

Birth rates are high if:

1. The population has a high percentage of young adults.
2. The level of education is low.
3. The average age for marriage is low.
4. A male heir is important for the family.
5. The main religion is one which opposes birth control.
6. Children form an important part of the labour force.

Question 21

Death rates

Answer 21

Death rates are lowered, and therefore life expectancy is increased by an
improvement in:

1. Environmental condition (e.g. – modern drainage system).
2. Diet (having a balanced diet).
3. Medical services (e.g. – vaccination programmes).

Migration is another influential factor which determines the density and distribution of a particular population.

1. Push factors encourage emigration (out-migration) e.g. – lack of employment.
2. Pull factors encourage immigration (in-migration) e.g. – better living conditions.

Question 22

Density and Distribution

Answer 22

1. Population density is the number of people per unit area. The unit area can be measured in square kilometre, square mile, hectare, or acre.
2. Population distribution refers to the spread of people in an area.

Factors determining the distribution and density of a population include:

a) Physical factors, including natural route ways, soil fertility, and climate.

1. Positive physical factors (fertile soil, warm climate) attract people to an area and allow industrial, agricultural, and commercial development to take place.
2. Negative physical factors (infertile soil, cold climate) discourage people from occupying a particular area.

b) Non-physical factors

1. Necessary human skills to further the agricultural, industrial, and commercial development of the area’s natural resources.
2. Low quality of life.
3. Human activities (war, pollution).

Question 23

The housing impact on the environment

Answer 23

1. Simply taking a look around the Maltese Islands, one immediately realises how much construction has been going on, and still it continues to increase.
2. All this has an impact on the natural environment since more agricultural land will be taken for residential homes and road construction.
3. This will result in the removal of soil and many habitats being destroyed, which may mean many endemic species being lost.
4. Often, these new buildings are what we call high-rise buildings, like a block of apartments having three, four or more storeys.
5. The construction of these buildings will also result in visual pollution.

Question 24

The great settlements of the Maltese Islands

Answer 24

Urban Areas

1. These are areas around a city or town in which large masses of the population settle because of greater work opportunities.
2. The highly active area surrounding the Grand Harbour with so many people living and/or working there is our best example of an urban area.
3. It is here that the major activities of our country take place.
4. This particular urban area comprises Valletta and Floriana, the Three Cities, and Marsa.

Question 25

City

Answer 25

1. This is similar to a large town, but has a prominent status or importance in the country.
2. It could have been planned and also fortified.
3. If a city becomes the seat of the government and the centre of administration it becomes the capital.

Question 26

Suburban Areas

Answer 26

1. Urban areas cannot contain all the workers, so they build their houses outside the urban areas, but within reachable distance.
2. Suburban areas are extensions of their urban town or city.
3. Example – Hamrun which expanded to Santa Venera.
4. The latter took its origin by offering sites for the residences of people working in urban areas.

Question 27

Rural Areas

Answer 27

1. These are towns and villages which still have agriculture or fishing and minor local trade as their chief way of life.
2. Example – Bidnija and Burmarrad.

Question 28

Towns and Market Towns

Answer 28

1. With the increase of trade, some villages, especially those situated in an ideal geographical location, gain importance.
2. They gradually become market centres.
3. People from other small villages come up to such towns for trade and shopping.
4. Thus, the old village becomes a town. Examples are Birkirkara, Hamrun, and Mosta.

Question 29

Village

Answer 29

1. A typical village contains certain social features such as a parish, primary school, one or two band clubs, and often an open market.
2. Characteristics include narrow winding streets, and only one or two storey buildings.
3. Villages tend to have a strong focus on agriculture or fishing.
4. They may offer some essential services, but for more luxurious needs, such as clothing, the villagers have to go to town.
5. Examples include Zebbiegh in the limits of Mgarr and Manikata, close to Ghajn Tuffieha.

Question 30

Hamlet

Answer 30

1. This is when a few people settle in a locality and build their houses in close quarters but the settlement does not develop more.
2. An example of a hamlet is Imtahleb.

Question 31

Holiday Resorts / Tourist Centres

Answer 31

1. This consists of summer houses which, traditionally are commonly found in rural areas.
2. The growth of holiday resorts has been helped by the ever-increasing amount of tourism, which brought about the building of many hotels and guest houses.
3. Example –Qawra and Bugibba which have grown significantly in a relatively short period of time.
4. Out of holiday season, this settlement area is more sparsely populated because the local residents are fewer and winter tourists are less numerous.

Question 32

Urban Sprawl

Answer 32

1. Some of our towns have expanded so much that they have engulfed neighbouring villages.
2. The boundaries of each town have become indistinguishable. Example – LijaAttard-Balzan.

Question 33

Ribbon Development

Answer 33

1. This type of settlement is a feature of modern growth. It is a long settlement along the roads leading to and from towns.
2. Ribbon development often brings about suburban housing estates and urban sprawl.
3. Certain towns, such as Mosta, have grown in importance because of their advantageous geographical position.
4. Mosta is situated at a very convenient location, very close to the gap in the Great Fault.
5. It lies on the shortest route from Gozo and the north of Malta to the more urban areas closer to the Grand Harbour.
6. Consequently, it developed into a town capable of providing, as any urban town, whatever amenities the people need.

Question 34

The Local Community

Question 35

Definition

Answer 35

1. Human beings are social beings, i.e., people need to be together to be happy, to be able to work, and to live.
2. Human relationships are the essence of social life.
3. Basically, we can distinguish between two types of human relationships:
   
   • Intimate and
   • deep relationships.
4. These relationships have a significant emotional value; they are informal and long-lasting.
5. These kinds of relationships are usually between family members, spouses, and very good friends.
6. Functional/Instrumental relationships
7. These relationships serve a specific function.
8. They are brief, “cold”, and specific. Such a relationship could be, for example, between a doctor and their patients.
9. Functional relationships may not be deep and intimate, but they are nevertheless very important in our social lives.
10. This is because in modern society, various individuals specialise in providing a certain product or service.
11. This is called division of labour.
12. A bus driver drives the bus; a shopkeeper sells goods from a retail outlet; a doctor visits and examines patients.
13. Unlike in intimate relationships, we are not interested in the actual person in a functional relationship, but we are more interested in the role that particular person in playing.
14. A role has certain values and expectations tied to it; therefore, one has to behave in a certain manner when playing a particular role.
15. Finding our way in society – learning the general rules of behaviour – is one important aspect of socialisation.
16. Just like taking part in a play, we all have to learn to play our part.
17. Modern society makes us all interdependent – we depend on each other for practically all our needs and requirements.

Question 36

People within the community

Answer 36

1. Any given society is made up of different people who are ultimately individuals.
2. However, these individuals come together to form different groups.
3. Groups involve people who have certain things in common, such as age, work, interests, or difficulties.
4. Three different groups which one may find in a community are the youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Question 37

The Youth in Society

Answer 37

1. Youth and adolescence are times of great physical, emotional, and also social change.
2. Young people start to change socially as their social role changes and they start being considered differently by other people, the law, and society at large. Individuals start assuming greater responsibility for their thoughts and actions.
3. At age 16, one is relieved of compulsory schooling, and obtains the right to vote, while upon age 18; they are allowed to have a driver’s licence, and other things which are characteristic of adult life.
4. Youth is that part of life where one tests different things so as to find their identity and role in society.
5. In this experimentation phase, youths are likely to come cross certain things for the first time in their life, such as cigarettes and alcohol.
6. This can also be due to peer pressure.
7. They make new friends, frequent different social places; look for a sense of belonging and acceptance amongst youths of their age whose opinions matter – what are called as significant others.
8. The young people are those people in society who are most likely to come up with fresh ideas about how to change society for the better.

Question 38

The Elderly in society

Answer 38

1. The percentage of elderly in society is on the increase. The age a normal person would be expected to live – known as the life expectancy – is around 80 years for a male and 83 for a female in Malta. This henomenon of an aging population is taking place in most developed societies. It is a result of two main factors:
   
   • longevity – the increasing duration of human life because of better diet, hygiene and control over diseases.
   • reduction in the number of birth rates.
2. More elderly in society means more pensions, more demand for doctors, nurses, specialised hospitals, vehicles, houses, but also room for the elderly to involve themselves fully as normal citizens.
3. After a typically intense working life, the elderly suddenly find themselves not just without a job but without social purpose. Cut off from society, the elderly may become easy victims of marginalisation.
4. Access to social places may be difficult; if they are sick, they must depend on medication and professional care, often accompanied by periods of time spent indoors.
5. Old age can be a very lonely and sad time indeed.
6. In Malta, the issue of abandoning senior citizens has not become too extreme yet, mainly due to strong family values.
7. Furthermore, pensioners are an active pressure group in a variety of national, political and trade union circles.
8. They also organise educational, social and cultural activities for their members. Reforms in social welfare are making it increasingly possible for the elderly to remain integrated in their own community, rather than being whisked away to some hospital ward.
9. Such welfare is provided by the state through pensions, or by NGOs such as MMDNA (a home nursing service with a minimum annual payment).

Question 39

People with disabilities in society

Answer 39

1. Having an impairment or a disability is a fairly common thing. People with disabilities – be they physical or mental - suffer from the same two key problems as the elderly: those of inclusion and accessibility.
2. Society in general may not fully comprehend the obstacles, whether they are physical and/or social, that people with disabilities have to face.
3. Spend an hour in a wheelchair and find out for yourself how many invisible barriers exist and that you suddenly become aware of.
4. Society, it seems, continually assumes that its citizens can all walk, see, hear, or move about freely.
5. Assumptions like these condemn the impaired to lead a marginalised life.
6. However, in recent years we have seen some improvements in the awareness of the accessibility needs of all citizens, for examples, installing lifts in shopping arcades for those who are bound to a wheelchair.

Question 40

Institutions within the community

Answer 40

1. All communities, no matter their size, must organise themselves.
2. A community, or a society, is made up of different institutions, and it is such institutions that maintain a society’s stability.
3. Such institutions include politics, economics, education, health, religion, order, and justice.
   
   1. The political institution in society dictates who will lead and who will follow; why people should dictate the authority of others. Examples of political systems are democracy and communism.
   2. The economic institution in society distributes wealth and material goods; it generates the material objects that we need to be able to live. The three economic systems are the free market, mixed economy, and centralised economy.
   3. The educational institution in society gives the members of society knowledge to be able to survive – survival skills.
   4. The health and leisure institution in society pays attention to those people who are in need, but also to prevention. Leisure is seen a way of how one can regain his/her strength back through sports and any other hobbies.
   5. The religious institution is that institution which answers humanity’s questions of ultimate meaning.
   6. Religion satisfies people’s desire to know and understand what is otherwise mysterious and beyond understanding.
   7. The order and justice institution in society maintains a certain stability.
   8. This institution includes laws, courts, and also armed forces.
   9. Society can be compared to a human body.
   10. The latter is made up of different organs, such as lungs and a heart.
   11. These different organs all have a different role but together they serve one function - to make the human body work properly.
   12. This also applies to society.
   13. The institutions are the different organs that make up any society.
   14. They all have a different role to play; however, they all serve one function which is the stability and continuity of the society. In turn, these institutions are formed by the members of society itself.
   15. Therefore, the institutions maintain society, but society builds these institutions!

Question 41

Maltese Cultural Heritage

Question 42

Definition

Answer 42

1. Culture is the essential and distinct product of humanity. It represents all that which is not transmitted genetically but acquired by virtue of being part of a social environment.
2. Culture is heritage; the sum total of artistic and scientific artefacts, achievements, and accomplishments.
3. In other words, it is the sum total of the impacts of people on the natural world.
4. Culture gives us a sense of belonging and identity.
5. Maltese culture is that which makes us Maltese and which identifies us as different from any ther society.
6. Different societies will develop a different cultural heritage and will impact their natural environment in different ways.
7. A society set up near the sea is more likely to develop a strong fishing tradition, while a society whose economy is based on tourism is more likely to develop the skills to acquire foreign languages.

Question 43

Elements making up a people’s cultural identity

Answer 43

1. There are a number of characteristics that help us to distinguish a particular society from any other.
2. Four of the main ones are:
   
   1. language,
   2. customs and traditions,
   3. technology, and
   4. values.

Question 44

Language

Answer 44

1. Malta is a very small nation; however, we have been lucky in developing and preserving our own language.
2. The Maltese language is a Semitic based language but it has exported and accepted words and expressions derived from other languages, particularly from Italian and, more recently, English.

Question 45

Customs and Traditions

Answer 45

1. Our customs primarily reflect the Mediterranean context.
2. We may not give much attention to many of these customs since we can take them for granted.
3. Think of the village feast during the summer weekends; band marches; open markets (il-monti).
4. Other traditional activities are the 8th of September Regatta and the traditional first dip in the sea at the feast of St.Gregory.
5. Customs and traditions also include food such as the local pastizzi, gbejniet tal-bzar, and hobz biz-zejt.
6. The strongest contributor to Maltese customs and traditions has been the Roman Catholic Church – it is hard to find an area of Maltese culture that does not include some aspect of faith, e.g. – the local bread used to have the sign of the cross.

Question 46

Technology

Answer 46

1. By technology, we refer to the harnessing of energy and resources, their utilisation, and the production of material goods and services.
2. With practically no natural resources, the Maltese have had to rely on their labour to earn their living.
3. Technical crafts and skills, such as glass-blowing, are plentiful in what has traditionally been a labour-intensive, local economy.
4. Traditional occupations, such as farming and fishing, have frequently been undertaken in harsh conditions.
5. More recently, tourism has become a very important contributor to the local economy and most of its success depends on the ability of the Maltese to offer quality hospitality services.

Question 47

Values

Answer 47

• These are the basic principles around which to organise one’s life and its priorities.
• They are unwritten laws which suggest what is good and bad, and they recommend patterns of good behaviour.
• The official Maltese religion, the Roman Catholic faith, had an important role in establishing certain values which today form an integral part of Maltese society.
• The sense of community created by the parish church – being built in the centre of the town, and the local feast – all give a sense of belonging.
• The unique Maltese culture is best exemplified through these four characteristics, which are a product of our own specific geographical, economic, historical, political, and religious conditions.
• These features together make us what and who we are.
• They are a reflection and a condition of what has been experienced by our ancestors and of what has been meaningful enough to pass on through time.

Question 48

Changes in Culture

Answer 48

• Time, however, does not stand still and culture is not a frozen object.
• Progress and globalisation are leading to local cultural features being discarded and forgotten, or else maintained simply as symbols, such as souvenirs (e.g. the Maltese luzzu).
• Throughout history, the Maltese language has been challenged and given second preference to foreign languages such as Italian and, more recently, English.
• It is a real shame to consider foreign languages as being better or of a higher standard.
• The Maltese language is truly unique as it is the only Semitic language with a Roman alphabet.
• Traditions and customs are also a product of culture and the values of a society. For example, Christmas is an important feast with a long tradition of the family going to the midnight mass and then exchanging gifts.
• This increases the importance given to family
  values.
• However, new customs are being introduced and have already been integrated well into our culture, such as parties on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
• Several local customs are being lost as a result of other cultural habits being introduced to the island.
• Those that remain seem to be aimed exclusively towards the consumption and pleasure of the foreign tourist and not necessarily as an expression of Maltese identity.
• In today’s world, technology and communications are making it possible to transmit habits and values worldwide.
• As a result, the world is becoming a global village and we as its citizens are adopting similar lifestyles.
• This trend is called globalisation.
• This leads to the loss of certain cultural products and behaviour patterns.
• Some examples of this could be religion losing its importance and becoming separate from other aspects of life – a phenomenon called secularisation.
• However, globalisation helps to turn certain traditions into tourist attractions in a way that can help to preserve them, such as the ferry boat from Sliema to Valletta and the karrozzin.
• Changes in technology and the manner in which the Maltese have approached nature and used its resources have also changed radically with time.
• For example, for many years agriculture was the main occupation of the Maltese but this has gone through a major crisis during the past two centuries.
• The number of full-time farmers has fallen to an all-time record low.
• It is fairly common to come across some Maltese citizens who argue that the modern generation has lost all sense of virtue and good sense.
• Traditions of the past are being lost because of the interest in high spending, glamorous clothes and expensive hobbies.
• This has all been brought about due to a change in values. However, one needs to see that today there is a different understanding of the world (this is what brings about changes in values).
• Firstly, in the past, life was much harder due to war and poor living conditions.
• Secondly, youth in most cultures is experiencing a period of freedom and the opportunity to try out different lifestyles.
• Thirdly, even in this consumer-focused, individualistic
  society, some still choose to return to spirituality and this can be seen from the various religious movements such as the ZAK (Zaghzagh Azzjoni Kattolika) and Y4J (Youth for Jesus).
• There is an understanding that life is about being and not just about having.

Question 49

Globalisation Classwork

Answer 49

1. What does Globalisation include?
2. What are the four aspects of Globalisation?
3. Give an example of each aspect.
4. What have we learned?
5. HOMEWORK
   Essay of at least 250 words ‘Globalisation is a phenomenon which is affecting cultures worldwide. Malta is no exception’. Discuss.

Question 50

Customs related to the way Maltese celebrate

Answer 50

Religious Celebrations

Christmas
The main event during Christmas time was the midnight mass. On the contrary, many people today celebrate Christmas without going to Church. The crib is the oldest form festivities linked with Christmas. The humblest cribs were just a cave with the main figures, i.e. St. Mary, St. Joseph, and the baby Jesus. All of these were made at home, only the very few could afford to buy them ready-made. As time went by, Maltese cribs became more elaborated having sceneries and new figures such as farmers, sheep, and other animals. After WWII, the crib started to lose its significance and foreign elements were introduced which were not as religious but more decorative. Such elements include the
Christmas tree. However, as of 1985 organisations were set up which promoted cribs trough exhibitions. In the last few years there has also been done ‘live cribs’ with the figures being actual human beings. Another traditional activity developed and maintained by M.U.S.E.U.M is the procession of baby Jesus.

Lent – Holy Week
Ash-Wednesday is the first day of Lent and up until the 1950’s it was a holiday for school children. The lent talks were introduced in Malta by the Jesuits in the 17th century. They were immediately taken up by the Maltese people and the talks were categorised, e.g. talks for the youth, for the professionals, etc. Lent involves fasting and other sacrifices. There were certain rules of what could and could not be eaten. Certain traditional foods developed such as ‘kwarezimal’. The latter is a sweet made out of a
mixture of nuts, milk, honey, and flour. A religious and traditional celebration linked with the Holy Week is the Via Sagra, where people pray and stop at every step that Jesus took on the hill going up to be crucified. One must not forget the statues and the procession. The latter used to be done in quite a number of towns but now the number decreased mainly due to traffic. As in Christmas, you also find people who do exhibitions of smaller versions of the statues. Another exhibition done during the Holy Week is ‘Il-Mejda ta’ L-Appostli’ which started in the late 20th century. The seven Church visits are another tradition connected with the Holy Week. These are usually done by families, religious organisations, and local band clubs.

Easter
With Easter, fasting and other sacrifices are over. Traditionally, the difference between Lent, Holy Week, and Easter was drastic. Lent and Holy Week are a time of sorrow and penance while Easter is a time of joy and celebration. Today, the change is not as drastic as people no longer take Lent so seriously. Easter means new life over death and it is celebrated during spring time which also symbolises new life. This is then all symbolised with the Easter egg, which is truly a pagan tradition. ‘Figolli’ – the traditional Easter sweet. In the beginning it was only done in the
figure of a sheep as it symbolises the Easter sacrifices. Lately, they are also being done in any shape, such as a cat or a house.
Easter also involves a procession which ends up with the swinging of the statue with the music played by the band, and by running with the statue into the church.

Patron Feasts
Although these have a religious purpose, they also serve as a social gathering where people got together to have fun and to see the attractions such as the bands, fireworks, and to buy the traditional nougat.

Question 51

Non-Religious Celebrations

Answer 51

Carnival

• It is undoubtedly the most colourful of all public entertainments in Malta, a period of carefree song and laughter which has been handed down by an unbroken tradition of over four centuries.
• Since 1926, the outdoor festivities in the capital have been organised by the Carnival Committee.
• Prizes are awarded for the best artistic dances, costumes, floats and grotesque masks.
• The national dance, il-Maltija, which used to be performed during the 18th century, is now often staged by school children in peasant costume.
• True to an old-age tradition, this festival is ushered in by the Parata.
• The Parata is an ancient Maltese sword-dance commemorating the Maltese victory over the Turks in 1565.
• The Carnival was first celebrated in 1535 under Grand Master Pietro del Ponte.
• It received a tremendous push onwards when Grand Master La Valette allowed the use of masks in public.
• This new entertainment, so rich in spectacle and amusement, pleased both the Knights and the Maltese that in time it became part of the Maltese cultural identity.
• A historical feature which was introduced in 1721 is the kukkanja.
• A crowd assembled on the Palace square on Carnival Monday and at given signal attacked the hams, sausages, and living animals tied to the long beams fixed against the guard house and covered over with branches of trees.
• Revivals of this folk entertainment took place in 1960-1962 and from 1992.

Imnarja

• The most colourful and boisterous festa in Malta is the Mnarja a typical Maltese folklore festival with plenty of music, folk dancing, feasting and, horses and donkey races.
• The “Imnarja” (a corruption of the Italian “luminara” - illumination) is centuries old tradition and is referred to as a harvest festival which is celebrated on June 29th, the feast of St Peter and St Paul.
• It is characterised by a nightlong picnic at Buskett Garden, Rabat, on the eve of the feast during which the native dish Fenkata, stewed rabbit, is consumed in large quantities accompanied by equally large volumes of locally produced wine.
• Exhibits of local produce, marching bands, decorated carts and folklore singing competitions enliven the night-long proceedings.
• The traditional singing, l-ghana, is a simple and spontaneous song of the Maltese peasantry.
• The ghana are melancholic, half oriental airs, something between a Sicilian ballad and the rhythmic wail of an Arabic tune which seem to express the sadness of centuries old tales of impassionate love.
• Similarly two peasants often carry on a conversation in rhyming quatrains chanting lampoons with speed and ease producing roars of laughter from the crowds, an evidence of native skill and humour.
• The singers, called l-ghannejja, are accompanied by the trilling of guitars.
• The following day in the afternoon, the festivities reach a climax when bare-back donkey and horse races, an event which traces its origin from the time of the Knights.
• Racecourse Street on the road to Siggiewi, which stands at the bottom of Saqqajja Hill, is the venue for these historical races.
• The prizes for the winners of these races are “palji” (special brocaded banners) which the winners traditionally donate to their village church to be used as an altar cloth.
• At the winning post there is a large arched loggia built in 1696, in which years gone by the Grand Master used to watch the races attended by members of the Council of the Order.

Question 52

Family Celebrations - Marriage

Answer 52

In the olden days, families used to gather and come together only for three main events. These are marriages, the birth of a child, and for funerals.

Marriage

• In the past, the daughter was hardly consulted in the choice of a husband.
• When a girl was ready for marriage, her parents would have placed an aromatic plant on the window sill.
• Remember that girls used to get married very young (13-15 years old).
• Most of the weddings were planned by the parents of the bride and groom.
• A huttab/a was usually employed by the man to find him a suitable wife.
• The betrothal feast then followed.
• The bride was introduced to her future husband in the presence of parents and friends, and he would offer her an engagement ring.
• She reciprocated by presenting him with a handkerchief with lace.
• On the wedding day, musicians and singers celebrated in verse the praises of the happy couple.
• Grain, nuts, and wheat were showered on them on their return from the church for the nuptial mass.
• The guests usually stayed on for the wedding banquet to which they often contributed by offering wine and foodstuff.
• Once married, the female did not leave with her new husband but spent a whole week with her family, mainly so that she learns what is expected of her as a wife.
• Marriage customs today tend to conform to the practices of other
  European countries.
• They have suffered quick changes over the past sixty years or so.
• Under direct British influence, for example, the best man and the bridesmaid were introduced.
• Since the war, the veil has come into general use.
• Rice, and not grain and nuts, is showered nowadays on the newly-weds before they leave for the honeymoon.

Question 53

Family Celebrations - Il-Quccija

Answer 53

• In the 19th century, il-quccija became part of the Maltese culture.
• When a child turns one, a form of party was organised for the family. In this get together, the family would get to know what the child would pick for his/her future occupation.
• A tray with different objects, which would represent the different occupations, would be place on the floor.
• The child would be placed by it and pick one object. For example, if the child was to pick a book most probably it meant that the child would be a lawyer or a doctor.
• Objects placed on the tray were different for boys and girls.
• For boys they usually placed pieces of wood, books, pens, boats, and money.
• While for girls, the objects placed were dolls, scissors, pots, and cloth.

Question 54

Death

Answer 54

Maltese traditions as regards death are a mixture of devotional and superstitious beliefs.

Il-Qniepen u l-Vjatku

• The local church would ring its bells in a certain melody to notify the community that a member of their society has died.
• The bells also called for the attention of the people to come together and join in the procession (il-vjatku).
• This procession involved the holy Eucharist which would be given to someone who is on his/her death bed.
• This is no longer practiced in Malta.

In-Newwieha

• This tradition has been part of Malta’s culture before the Knights of St.John arrived.
• It was most probably brought in by the Arabs.
• In-newwieha were women who would dress in black, take care the preparations for the funeral and cry around his/her coffin.
• These women would be appointed by the relatives of the deceased. In-newwieha was abolished during the plague in 1676.

Question 55

Sports Events

Answer 55

• The Regatta, held on September 8th in the Grand Harbour, celebrates Malta’s victories during the Great Siege of 1565 and the Second World War.
• The magnificent Fort St Angelo provides an imposing backdrop to the sleek and colourful Maltese boats.
• Band marches, water-carnival, boat races and display of colourful fireworks are the main features attracting large crowds to the capital city, Valletta and the Grand Harbour.
• Rowing teams from the cities bordering Grand Harbour, Valletta, Vittoriosa, Senglea, Kalkara, Cospicua, Marsaxlokk and Marsa, participate in a number of very exciting races, marked by extreme rivalry between participating teams and their respective supporters.
• For weeks on end, the best dghajsamen from these areas, prepare for the races with fanatic zeal and rivalry.
• In the afternoon of Regatta day thousands of people crowd at the waterfront and the surrounding bastions to watch the races.
• The Maltese, being traditionally religious people, a religious connotation was consequently given to the day - it falls on the feast il-Vittorja short for Our Lady of Victory.

Question 56

The role of values

Answer 56

• As we already saw, values are those elements which tell us what is acceptable or not.
• Different people may have different values; in fact, different societies have different values!
• This results in having different ways of behaviour and lifestyles.
• However, most modern cultures embrace democratic values and so their lifestyle has a lot in common.
• Such democratic values include respect and acceptance of differences.
• Precisely because people value things differently, there must be respect towards each other so that everyone can live happily in their own society.
• Another important value is equality of opportunities.
• No matter the race, class, colour, religious and political values, or sexual orientation, we are all equal and should have equal opportunities.
• Finally there are rights and responsibilities.
• As citizens we have certain rights, such as the right for an education and the right to feel safe in your own country.
• However, people tend to forget their responsibilities such as paying taxes, and taking care of their surrounding environment.
• Once such values are equally shared by each and every member of the society, then there would be order and stability in society.

Question 57

Vernacular Architecture

Question 58

Definition

Answer 58

1. Vernacular means indigenous or native of a country.
2. This category of buildings for the Maltese Islands include the girna, dura, rubble wall, and many more.

Question 59

The Maltese Corbelled stone hut - the girna

Answer 59

• This normally has a single entrance and has either an oval or circular plan.
• The girna was normally used as a place of shelter for the farmer and his crops.
• The girna’s system of architecture is known as corbelling (kileb in Maltese).
• This means that by weight, the stones of the upper courses rest on those of the lower ones, and therefore there was no need for plastering or any other cementing agents.
• Most of these structures are found in the north of Malta, especially in Mellieha.

Question 60

The dura

Answer 60

This consisted of a small square or rectangular room, used by the
hunter/trapper for shelter from the sun and rain while they wait.

Question 61

Ghorfa

Answer 61

• An għorfa is a small building in a field, usually consisting of two or three rooms, one of which is on top of the others.
• An għorfa could also be a small room or shelter or, more accurately, a room on the roof of a house.
• One of the functions of an għorfa was to provide shelter for farmers who wish to escape from the harsh summer sun and shelter from the winter rains while working on their land.
• Agricultural tools, produce, and animals could also be kept in the għorfa.

Question 62

The farmhouse

Answer 62

• Historical evidence shows that the earliest complexes of Malta farmhouses were built towards the central part of the islands.
• The reason for this was that in the Middle Ages these islands were frequently threatened by, and experienced, pirate raids.
• Also, the Maltese farmers built their farmhouses in areas that were agriculturally very productive.One can say that there are three main factors that have influenced the architecture of the Maltese farmhouse.
• These are the local climate, the need for security, and the socio-economic aspect.

Climate

• The Maltese farmhouse was built in a way to conform to Malta’s local climate - the hot and humid days in summer and the cold and rainy days in winter.
• Normally, the Maltese farmhouse is characterised by a central courtyard which was important to provide light for the rooms on the ground floor, and for air circulation in the entire building.

Shelter and Security

• The farmhouse was built in a way to ensure shelter and security to all those living in it.
• The windows were very small in size and placed in a very high place to make access difficult for any intruders. In addition, the courtyard of the farmhouse was usually surrounded by very high walls.

The socio-economic aspect

• One has to keep in mind that each farmhouse was the family home of the farmer, whose livelihood was based on the cultivation of the land and the tending of animals.
• This led to such farmhouses not having excellent sanitary conditions, with no drainage and sewage systems.

Question 64

Maqje

Answer 64

• Inside a Maltese farmhouse, rooms are constructed in cubical forms.
• Their layout is functional and is planned to provide shelter for the livestock.
• In fact, the ground floor was mostly used for animals, which were invaluable for meat, dairy products, transport and for sheer physical power in the fields.
• Livestock was housed and fed in the maqjel, the main animal room which was usually divided into a number of arched stables.

Question 65

Chapels and Niches

Answer 65

• The rural environment of these islands is characterised by a number of wayside churches and chapels, and niches.
• These show the respect the Maltese traditionally had towards a number of religious figures.
• Nowadays, a number of parishes, local councils, the Malta Centre for Restoration, the Restoration Unit of the Works Department, and non-governmental agencies like Din L-Art Helwa, are restoring various chapels.
• Our ancestors openly displayed their devotion to particular saints by decorating their image in a niche on the façade or corner of their homes.
• There are those that were solely made as devotion towards the owner’s patronsaint.
• Others were placed at one end of a street that bears the saint’s name; while on the contrary, some streets took their names from some niche that is situated there.

Question 66

Troglodyte Structures

Answer 66

• We have already mentioned the term troglodyte when we discussed medieval architecture.
• Some medieval chapels were either fully or partially built in caves.
• An example could be the chapel of Mensija in San Gwann.
• The term troglodyte literally means a person who lives in caves. In medieval times, we also had small troglodyte hamlets such as that of Simblija which is located in the limits of Dingli.
• Another, and the one that was mostly used, is that of Ghar il-Kbir, also in the limits of Dingli.

Question 67

Modern Buildings

Question 68

Modern constructions and how they reflect the social change that Maltese society went through since WWII

Answer 68

• The Maltese Islands are full of buildings and construction sites. It was in the late 20th century that Malta underwent a boom in the construction industry.
• After WWII and Independence Day, the Maltese felt the need forhaving buildings that met their new requirements – offices, schools, factories, etc.
• The objective was for the Maltese Islands to become a modern country and also a major tourist destination in the centre of the Mediterranean.
• Although the building of churches did not really stop, many of the old symbols in buildings were lost.
• The urban development was so extensive that many of the Maltese villages lost their former traditional characteristics, such as the sense of independence and autonomy from other settlements.
• In the past 50 years or so, there has been an enormous rise in the number of houses, flats, and new roads, making the territorial limits of certain villages and towns coincide with those of others.
• A very good example would be of Lija, Balzan and Attard.
• The family home also had a drastic change.
• It was no longer the typical Maltese farmhouse with a central courtyard.
• Houses were now built touching each other and according to local authorities such as MEPA (recently split into the PA and ERA).
• It was in the 19th and 20th century that new features were introduced, such as the balconies - initially made of wood and later on as a simpler aluminium version.
• With time, buildings became more about practicality and less about an architectural showcase.
• For instance, in Sliema many of the late 19th and 20th century houses have been demolished to make way for new modern blocks of apartments.
• While these apartments are luxurious and comfortable, they cannot be compared to Sliema’s past architecture. T
• he 21st century seems to have today’s architects once again giving more importance to the aesthetic value of the building and there is also a sense of respect towards historical buildings – incorporating the old with the new.
• A good example would be the Valletta Waterfront – having restored what the Knights left us, whilst giving it a modern-day, practical use.

Question 69

The Four Sectors of the Economy

Question 70

Definition

Answer 70

• The economy of any given society is the organisation of production and distribution of goods, services, and money.
• Economy involves work and the distribution that work brings about, i.e. money and manufactured goods.
• Work is a fundamental human activity.
• Through this activity, human beings produce what they need, such as food, clothing, and services such as health services. It is through work that life can go on as we know it.
• Work is the fundamental agent in any given production.
• The second agent is the natural resource/s, such as wood, by which people can actually work.
• Work and economy go together hand-in-hand, without work there would be no economic activity.

Question 71

The four sectors

Answer 71

The economy may be divided into four different sectors according to their activity.

1. The primary sector is work which has to do with the natural resources. E.g. –fishing, farming, quarrying.
   
   • This sector used to be the most populated up to 100 years ago. Today, it forms only 4% of the total Maltese economic activity.
2. The secondary sector is work in the manufacturing industry, mainly factory work and the textile industries.
   
   • This sector involves the production of goods.
3. The tertiary sector is the services sector.
   
   • This type of work involves doctors, teachers, banks, ISPs etc.
   • It is the sector in which most people work, even in the Maltese Islands (mainly in tourism). In the past, a problem with this sector was that it only offered seasonal employment, but this is changing and tourism plays a big role in the Maltese economy all year round.
4. The quaternary sector is also known as the digital sector.
   
   • This sector is also about providing a service, but a particular kind of service oncerning information through research.
   • The quaternary sector consists of those industries providing information services such as computing and ICT, consultancy (offering advice to businesses), and research in scientific fields as pharmaceuticals.
   • This sector requires highly educated and skilled workers.

Question 72

The different structures of economic activity - Free Market

Answer 72

• Free Market (closest example is Hong Kong)
• Every individual has the right to buy and sell as he/she wishes.
• The government has no say in this form of economy.
• The only means of control is the market itself, i.e.according to the demand and supply of the object, the price goes up or down.
• E.g. – If right now mobile phones with cameras are the latest thing, then they will be very expensive.
• But if in a few months’ time something more sophisticated comes out, the price of the older models will come down.

Question 73

The different structures of economic activity - Centralised (for example, Cuba)

Answer 73

• Centralised (for example, Cuba)
• An economy which is completely in the hands of the government.
• Everything depends on the government: the price of objects, wages, which objects may be found in the market, etc.
• This type of economy is usually found in communist countries and in dictatorships.

Question 74

The different structures of economic activity - Mixed (for example, Malta)

Answer 74

• Mixed (for example, Malta)
• The middle way found between the free and the centralised economy.
• Both the government and the private sector have a role in this type of economy.
• The government would be responsible for the minimum wage, health and safety at work, while the private companies would decide on what to import and export, and the price of the object.

Question 75

The development of the Maltese Economy

Answer 75

• Up until the late 1950’s, Malta was organised as a fortress economy.
• This means, that at that time, Malta’s workforce was either directly or indirectly employed by the British military forces. In 1957, a radical British defence review took place in which it was decided that Malta was no longer of strategic importance to British defence.
• A rundown was set into operation: by March 31st 1979, the British defence establishment was to be completely phased out.
• In view of this decision, it was quite clear that considerable alternative means of employment had to be created to make for the loss of thousands of jobs.
• An expert report by Schuster (1950) had already suggested a policy of economic diversification, meaning, restructuring of the Maltese economy such that it would no longer remain dependent on one source of finance.
• Three Development Plans were structured so that the Maltese economy could stand on its own feet.
• The first industrial estate was built at Marsa, the Dockyard was reoriented to commercial shipping, emphasis was put on tourism and agriculture, and the government greatly encouraged the private sector.
• With the election of the Malta Labour Party into government in 1971, a new SevenYear Plan (1973-1980) was launched.
• This plan, in contrast to all previous plans, involved a stronger state involvement.
• As from 1987, when the Nationalists were in government, the importance of services (the tertiary sector) to the economy was highlighted.
• As from then, both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party have been committed to gradually shift away from an economy dominated by the state.
• In order for this to be achieved a wave of privatisation was introduced.
• Privatisation is the sale of all or part of the shares owned by the government, e.g. Mid-Med Bank became HSBC in 1999.
• Today Malta has a mixed economy.

Question 76

Industrial Estates (2nd sector of the Economy)

Answer 76

• These are specially reserved areas spread over various localities in which one can find industrial factories.
• In Malta we have 12 of such localities – e.g. Bulebel Industrial Estate, Mosta Industrial Estate, San Gwann Industrial Estate, and Xewkija (Gozo) Industrial Estate.
• The Malta Development Corporation in conjunction with Public Works Development is responsible for the planning, supervision, and construction of such sites.
• This ensures conformity with the country’s development needs as well as prompt and appropriate allocation of available factory space to approved projects.
• In order for an industrial estate to succeed, it must have the following:

a) The factories themselves must have good space for their requirements.
b) Sufficient and reliable water and electricity supply.
c) Efficient communication with other centres and with the world at large.
d) Easy access to them and excess from them, meaning, having good roads which are well kept at all times and well illuminated at night.
e) If their product is for export, they must not be far from the port (Marsa Ind. Est.).

• If it is meant for tourists, they must be at places which are easily accessible to them (Crafts Village).
• If it is meant for local consumption they must not be too far from the centre of towns. (Mosta Ind.Est.).

Question 77

Impact of Industry on the Environment

Answer 77

• Industries provide many jobs and provide different goods and services.
• However, many of these industries also pollute, such as air pollution, visual pollution, and noise pollution.

1. It leads to the depletion of natural resources.
2. Global warming, climatic changes are the major consequences of industrialization.
3. It causes acid rain.
4. It leads to the degradation of land quality.
5. It leads to the generation of hazardous waste whose safe disposal became a big problem.

Question 78

GDP

Answer 78

• This is the most common measurement of a nation’s income generated from the resources within its own boundaries.
• By resources we do not simply mean the natural resources which fall under the primary sector of the economy.
• The GDP is calculated from all of the three sectors of the economy. In Malta, the tertiary sector is the one that is most contributing to the tertiary sector, especially tourism.
• Visit this website to get a very detailed outline how the Maltese GDP is calculated –(www.nso.gov.mt).
• Then, click on Gross Domestic Product (on the left-hand side of the monitor).
• You will now have a list of dates when the GDP of Malta was calculated.
• Finally, click on the latest year and this will show you the income of the nation from each and every sector of the economy.

Question 79

Socio-Economic Development

Answer 79

• This is the process of social and economic development in a society.
• Socioeconomic development is measured with indicators, mostly the GDP and life expectancy.
• However, other factors are also taken into consideration such as how safe one feels in his/her society, the extent of participation in the civil society, and freedom of association.
• In Malta, the MCESD (Malta Council for Economic and Social Development) is an advisory council which gives suggestions and opinions to the local government regarding economic and social matters.
• The council has a number of members – some from the government like representatives from the Ministries of Finance, and Social Policy; others from the Central Bank, but mostly representatives from various trade unions. The discussions held in this council are a tool for analysis and also a method for change.
• The fact that Government officials, council members, and trade union representatives get together to discuss issues of national relevance in a very frank way is already a great achievement in furthering the development of Social Dialogue in Malta.
• The result is the considerable development that we have seen in the last 20 years.

Question 80

Tourist industry – a brief history of its development

Answer 80

• In the past, people used to travel as explorers, and many for religious purposes (pilgrimages).
• The risks in travelling were very great.
• The means of transport were slow and poor, there were robbers and thieves, and precautions against disease and the treatment of sick were also very primitive.
• As the means of transport improved and travelling to other lands became safer, quicker, and more comfortable, people began to travel more.
• Quality of life improved, conditions of work improved and people started earning more money and so could now afford to go to other countries for a holiday.
• Thus, with more money in hand, more leisure time at one’s disposal, and with easier means of transport, people travelled more, and this kind of travel became an industry on its own: the tourist industry.
• Tourism developed even more after World War II when air travel became more frequent and with fares within the reach of the ordinary working person.
• In fact, in Malta it was in 1947 that the British European Airways inaugurated a weekly service from England to Malta.
• Travel and tourism is the world’s largest industry and creator of jobs across national and regional economies.
• It generates over 300 million jobs in the worldwide economy (WTTC/WEFA research, 2018).
• Malta is one of those countries whose economic activity depends very much on the tourist industry. It was after the attainment of political independence that people started to realise the potential of the Maltese islands as an ideal place for tourists (plenty of sunshine, famous historical places).
• By 1994, tourism had become one of the major sources of income for our country.
• Realising this, the government wanted to further manage the human resources and opened a school to teach people all that was required for the tourist industry.
• Today, this school is known as ITS – Institute of Tourism Studies.

Question 81

Tourist – a definition

Answer 81

• A tourist is a temporarily leisured person who voluntarily visits a place away from home for the purpose of experiencing a change.
• Different forms of tourism can be defined in terms of the kinds of leisured mobility undertaken by the tourist, and may be defined as five types:

1. Ethnic tourism – visiting indigenous and exotic places, going to the natives’ homes, observation of dances and other ceremonies. This attracts only a limited number of visitors.
2. Cultural tourism – visiting areas with a culture different to that found at home. An example of this is visitors having meals in rustic inns, they go to folklore performances and costumed wine festivals.
3. Historical tourism – Stressing the glories of the past. Activities include guided tours to ruins and monuments, light and sound performances that encapsulate the history of a particular locality.
4. Environmental tourism – tourists that go to visit nature in its untouched state. It is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the wellbeing of the local people, and involves interpretation and education. Activities include scuba diving and mountain climbing.
5. Recreational tourism – tourists that look for the beach, the sun, and the nightlife. The mass tourism – e.g. Ibiza. Today, one can also add even more types of tourism:
   
   1. business holidays,
   2. agritourism, and
   3. educational holidays.

Question 82

A global perspective of tourism

Answer 82

• Tourism has become a major contributor to the global economy.
• It has become an important instrument to fight poverty since it generates a lot of employment opportunities.
• Tourism does not only affect the global economy, but also cultures worldwide.
• By travelling, people get a glimpse of the culture of the country they are visiting.
• They get to know their traditions, their values, and way of life.
• Thanks to tourism, people of different cultures come closer, get to know each other, and maybe become even more accepting of foreign cultures.

Question 83

Negative aspect of tourism

Answer 83

• Touristic activity brings income and jobs, increased understanding of other cultures, preservation of heritage and investment in infrastructure, which in turn bring social and cultural benefits.
• However, the unplanned development of tourism facilities has led to considerable damage to and degradation of the physical, natural, and social environment.
• Some tourism developments have led to the degradation of landscapes, destruction of habitats, pollution of bathing water, and in some cases, hostility from local residents.
• Sustainable tourism development has been recognised as being the sole option for the development of a long-term tourism industry.
• In order to achieve this, it is necessary to balance five elements: economic, environmental, social, tourist satisfaction, and culture.
• E.g. – Tourism and Water Supply (1998 – 1,182,240 total number of tourists)
• The Sewage master Plan for Malta and Gozo estimated that each tourist uses on average 235lt of water each day. Using this estimate, the annual demand for water in 1998 was around 2.66 million m³.
• This would equate to around 7.2% of the total water consumed
  annually in the Maltese islands.
• Most of the water for the tourist industry is disposed untreated into the sea.
• It is estimated that 80% of water used is disposed of as sewage, and therefore an estimated 2.13 million m³ of sewage is produced as a result of the tourist industry.

Question 84

Sustainable Tourism

Answer 84

• Sustainable tourism, in its purest sense, is an industry which attempts to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate income, employment, and the conservation of local ecosystems.
• It is responsible tourism which is both ecologically and culturally sensitive.
• Travel and tourism is able to contribute to development which is economically, ecologically and socially sustainable, because it:
  
  • has less impact on natural resources and the environment than most other industries;
  • is based on enjoyment and appreciation of local culture, built heritage, and natural environment, therefore the industry has a direct and powerful motivation to protect these assets;
  • provides an economic incentive to conserve natural environments and habitats which might be otherwise allocated to more environmentally damaging land uses, thereby helping to maintain biodiversity.
• Tourism involves having a great deal of infrastructure – airports, roads, hotels, restaurant, shops, and recreational facilities.
• It is the combination of tourism and good infrastructure that underpins the economic, environmental, and social benefits.
• It is important to balance any decision to develop an area for tourism against the need to preserve fragile or threatened environments and cultures.
• If travel and tourism ismanaged badly, it can have a damaging effect – it can harm fragile environments and destroy local cultures.
• In Malta, the ECO certification is the national scheme for ensuring the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability of hotels and farmhouses on the Maltese Islands and has been recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (an international organisation which establishes and manages global sustainable standards).
• This scheme is run by the Malta Tourism Authority. 22 local hotels and 7 farmhouses in Gozo have been awarded with this Eco certification.
• Such establishments have achieved sustainable practices in areas such as waste management, noise, energy, and water.
• Eco Certified hotels must comply with a detailed set of criteria designed to improve their environmental performance.
• Here are some of the criteria that need to be met in order for a hotel to be granted this certificate:
  
  • The hotel has a written sustainability policy and has a monitoring system.
  • The hotel collects rainwater and has a water policy.
  • 75% of foodstuffs are locally sourced.
• Examples of local hotels that have been awarded this certificate include The Radisson Blu Resort and Spa at Golden Sands, The Dolmen Resort at Qawra, and The Olives Farmhouse in Gozo.

Question 85

HOMEWORK

Answer 85

Essay of at least 300 words The tourist industry is a key environmental player, too. Evaluate this statement and illustrate your evaluation with examples.

Question 86

Malta’s economic relations with other countries

Answer 86

• The Maltese economy is too small to generate a sufficiently viable demand for its products.
• To be viable, industries in Malta must be able to sell abroad rather than simply locally.
• The Maltese economy is therefore locked into an export-oriented direction and must remain competitive in the production of goods and services.
• Examples of local goods which are exported are potatoes, beer, and wine.

Question 87

Social Implications of Work

Question 88

Definitions

Answer 88

Workers’ Co-operative

• A group of self-employed people working together to better their industry.
• It is an organisation carrying on various economic activities for the mutual benefit of its members.
• The aim of such co-operatives is to better the economic position of such selfemployed workers. An example of local workers’ cooperative would be Koptaco Coaches Co-operative.

Industrial Conflict

• This is when the employer and the employees do not agree on a particular issue.
• This could be having higher wages, reducing working hours.
• This may result in an industrial action such as a strike.

Industrial Relations

• Such industrial conflicts are discussed between the three social partners.
• These are the government, the employer, and the employee.
• The employee is represented by their respective trade union.
• The state, trade unions, and employers’ associations are together known as the social partners.
• These social partners hold discussions to come to agreements on different issues, such as salaries, working hours, etc.

Trade Unions

• These are pressure groups made up of the workers themselves that promote and protect the rights of the workers.
• General Trade Unions represent all forms of workers – WU.
• Industrial Trade Unions represent only one type of workers, for example teachers, like the MUT.

Collective Agreements

• These are discussions that take place, when an industrial conflict arises, between the trade unions and the employers.

Question 89

Occupational Health and Safety

Answer 89

• The industrial environment is characterised by large machinery and technological equipment.
• Therefore, work environments can often present occupational health hazards - heat, smoke, loud noises, humidity, toxic fumes or waste.
• Occupational health and safety is the right of every worker. It is the duty of every employer to reduce the amount of danger at the place of work.
• This can be achieved by providing proper equipment such as masks and gloves.
• It is also the duty of the worker to follow any given instructions to avoid any danger, such as wearing the former mentioned equipment.
• It was only in 1994 that the law passed to enforce health and safety.
• Today we have what is known as the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (established in 2000).
• Measures that can be taken to ensure occupational health and safety include worker training and education in health and safety awareness; air conditioning and adequate ventilation, personal protective wear such as helmets and gloves, and fire exits and firefighting equipment.

Question 90

Human Resource Management

Answer 90

• Human beings are a resource which should be developed and used especially in a country which lacks natural resources like Malta.
• Such natural resources automatically make a country that possesses them richer.
• Since Malta lacks these, its economy cannot depend on them.
• However, Malta is rich in human resources and through education it makes the most of these resources through proper management.
• The Maltese economy mainly depends on the tertiary sector - the services industry.
• This kind of employment needs proper training and this is where education comes in.
• Education is a life-long process, therefore if one gets their degree in education (teacher) it does not mean that their training stops there.
• There is what are known as in-service courses.
• These are courses which are done after one graduates and finds employment as a teacher to further their training to be better qualified for the job.
• Such continuous training may be done in all kinds of employment and not simply in teaching.
• This is a method to further manage the human resources available.
• It is important for this continual training, so as to improve the skills of the workers, which are an important asset in any economy.
• In Malta, Jobsplus does its best to offer a variety of training courses to re-skill the local work force, especially those who might have been missing from the work force for a long time.

Question 91

Development in work and how it has influenced society and people’s lifestyles

Answer 91

Pre-Industrial Work

• The first phase of the working life was agricultural.
• This was a time when the farmer had a very difficult lifestyle with no modern machinery to help in the field.
• Even compensation was different; it was a system of bartering, where workers exchanged their products for the products of another worker (eg. eggs for bread).

Industrial Work

• This change really happened because of the invention of the machine (steam engine). Thanks to this, work changed from manual labour to work based on machinery that manages to produce larger quantities.
• This was the beginning of modern-day factory work which was pioneered by Henry Ford who organised production on a conveyor belt process so that each worker did the same task over and over again (a phenomenon called Fordism).
• The results enabled Ford to cut the price of his cars dramatically and hence appeal to a mass market. The production process was organised in such a way that each worker had only a small part to play in the overall factory line, mechanically repeating the same task over and over again.

Question 92

Technological Work

Answer 92

• Today we see a difference between the use of empirical technology (technology used in factories) and information technology (computer technology).
• Computer technology has revolutionised manufacturing and the distribution of goods and services.
• It has also affected employment as millions of low-skilled or unskilled workers have lost their job in the western economies.
• However, information technology has produced many benefits: with the enhanced access to information which computers provide, some workers have seen their horizons and opportunities expand.
• The number of unskilled workers has fallen steeply, the numbers of people in professional groups has risen dramatically and the middle class has increased its number significantly.
• There has been a further decline in the traditional core of the industrial working class.
• Old industries such as ship building/repairing and textiles have suffered an irreversible decline.
• Due to information technology, today’s society is called the ‘information society’.
• This is because knowledge has replaced capital as the major resource.
• Knowledge is the raw material which is used to power economic developments.
• In the information society large numbers of unskilled workers are not required as basic manual tasks can usually be performed by intelligent machines.
• Thus unemployment is a result of the transition from an industrial to an information society.
• Information workers are, however, much in demand in these societies and are a fast-growing sector.
• In an information society the computer is the basic technology, just as the steam engine was for the industrial revolution.
• Globalisation is another effect of information technology as through it one can transfer information across the globe.
• These developments have made the world seem smaller.
• Globalisation is an important feature of the 20th and 21st centuries and can be seen in a variety of contexts.
• Programs can be beamed to all the countries of Western Europe or all those in the Far East.
• We now have what is called ‘world music’.
• Economic globalisation has meant that there is now a world market in many industries with production being organised on a global scale: a product can be assembled in one country after its components have been manufactured in another, and then be sold in a different country!
• Social life has changed dramatically in the last few decades prompted by the new technologies, by the new spatial distribution of industry, retailing and commerce, by the attempts to overcome inequalities based on gender, by changing family forms and by the collapse of work opportunities for a large section of the population.
• As the economy and society have changed, those who are without the keys to participation – the access to technology and goods – are denied many of the opportunities available to their fellow citizens.

Question 93

HOMEWORK

Answer 93

Essay: minimum of 300 words Positive working relationships among all individuals in a place of employment are just as important as a safe working environment. Discuss these two aspects and how they are related.

Question 94

The Maltese Lifestyle

Question 95

Comparison between the present lifestyle and the former lifestyle

Answer 95

Comparison between the present lifestyle and the former lifestyle

• First of all, lifestyle is influenced by culture.
• The latter involves values and norms which control the behaviour (the lifestyle) of those who form part of that culture. E.g. – Malta’s culture – strong religious values – go to Sunday mass weekly.
• In the past, there was very little difference between the members of society as they had the same values, therefore having the same expectations.
• The lifestyle was very simple and practically the same for everyone.
• On the other hand, today’s lifestyle is much more complex as it is based on differences.
• However, it is precisely because of these differences that today we depend more on each other’s capabilities.
• Changes in lifestyle are shown through different aspects of social life, such as clothing and leisure activities and other social activities.

Courting and Marriage

• In the past there were more restrictions for a couple to actually get to know each other and date.
• There were certain steps that had to be followed.
• For example, if a young man was looking for a girlfriend, he had to put a red flower on his ear or wear a red scarf around his neck.
• On the other hand, when a girl was ready for marriage, her parents would have placed an aromatic plant on the windowsill.
• Girls also used to get married at a very young age (13-15 years old).
• Most of the weddings were planned by the parents of the bride and groom, which means that the future husband and wife did not always meet before the actual wedding day!
• The parents used to hire a ‘huttaba’: a woman who would know most of the village and her job would be to find a suitable groom for the daughter.
• Once married, the female did not leave with her new husband but spent a whole week with her family, mainly so that she learns what is expected of her as a wife.

Question 96

Clothing

Answer 96

Mens’ Clothing

Past Clothing

1. Sidrija (waistcoat)
2. il-horga – to carry food and drink
3. Beritta – a cap
4. Cotton trousers
5. Terha – a piece of clothing which goes around the waist
6. Qorq – sandals
7. Mantar – a long coat worn by the farmers made out of sheep’s wool

Womens’ Clothing

Past Clothing

1. Women from the country walked barefoot while wealthy women had their shoes done from local shoemakers
2. white shirt
3. a long skirt
4. gezwira – a light, blue, shorter skirt worn on top of the other skirt (like an apron).
5. culqana – a long piece of drape over the head down to the waist.
6. ghonnella – black and long to the calves.

Question 97

Games

Answer 97

• There is a marked difference in the way children play today and in the way they used to play before.
• With no cars and less danger, the roads of the past were today’s playing fields.
• Toys were hand made out of wood or tin.
• Games included jumping of the rope, ‘pulizija u hallelin’, ‘harba’, ‘noghli’

Question 98

Entertainment

Answer 98

• Having no electricity meant having no cinemas, televisions, radios, discos or any other form of entertainment to which we are accustomed today.
• People used to mainly play card games, ‘bocci,’ which is still played nowadays, tombla (today’s bingo), attend local feasts, and sing ghana – the Maltese typical folk song.
• Religion used to be the centre of social life, even for entertainment.
• As mentioned, local feasts were important in the past as they brought the whole of the community together in celebration.

Question 99

Factors influencing the Maltese lifestyle

Answer 99

• In an ever shrinking world, different cultures meet, resulting in cultural changes which in turn bring about changes in lifestyles.
• Malta is also affected by this.
• The main factors which influence the Maltese lifestyle are tourism and means of communication.
• These are two factors which are helping in the process of globalisation, i.e., making the world a global village by bringing different cultures together.

Question 100

Tourism

Answer 100

• As of the mid-1960s, several small economies turned to tourism as a new and needed source of employment.
• The major reason for developing tourism in Malta and elsewhere was an economical one.
• Tourism did not only affect the economy but also the social and cultural aspects of the Maltese islands.
• Many cultural activities are nowadays considered in economic terms – ‘will these bring in more tourists?’, ‘how much money will they spend?’.
• Most of the bars and restaurants do not portray a Maltese identity but have more internationally recognisable names such as ‘English Rose’.

Question 101

Media

Answer 101

• One characteristic of modern society is the relative ease of transmitting information.
• Over long distances, messages and news can be transported in short periods of time and to large numbers of people.
• This is due to the development of mass media (mass means of communication – they can reach a large number of people).
• Television, radio, and internet are all good examples of this type of mass media.
• Thanks to these means it is very easy for us to know what is happening in other countries.
• Those who control the media are very influential people as they have the possibility of selecting news items for transmission and of colouring their reports and comments with certain value judgements which can, in turn, influence public opinion.
• Mass media such as television has affected lifestyle in other negative ways.
• Watching television or using computers (or other smart devices) for hours everyday reduces the time available for articipation in social activities (such as outdoor games, walking, sports).
• It also reduces the time available for interaction between family members.
• Members of the same family may not be able to speak to each other because they want to listen to what is being said on the TV.

Question 103

Emigration

Answer 103

• After WWII, unemployment was very high and as a result of this Malta experienced mass emigration.
• Many Maltese left for Canda, USA, England, and Australia.
• This was alo encouraged by the government.
• Many of these migrants have now come back bringing with them new ideas and customs that exposed the locals to more diversity.
• Lifestyle changes can be mainly seen in how our youths are living their lives.
• Research carried out in a number of European countries discovered how young people are able to recognise and blend different elements into a multiplicity of lifestyles that to the older generation appears contradictory.
• Popular culture is mixed with high culture, the individual with social, the religious with the consumer and materialist culture.
• Young people no longer follow in their parents’ footsteps, but choose more independently how they want to live.

Question 104

Irregular immigration in Malta and its effect on the country

Answer 104

• Human smuggling – When someone leaves their country of origin of their own accord, but through irregular means.
  
  • Human trafficking – When someone is kidnapped, lured, or lied to, and the individual ends up being abused of (e.g – prostitution).
  • Irregular immigration – When someone leaves their country of origin without proper documentation and needing asylum.
  • Illegal migration – When someone leaves their country of origin without proper documentation and not needing asylum.
  • Asylum seeker – An individual who is asking for protection. Once this is granted, the individual becomes a refugee.
• The decision to migrate may be the outcome of a free decision, like wanting to move to another country, or studying abroad. However, the decision may also be a forced one – individuals may be obliged to leave their country of origin due to oppression, torture, and war.
• Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants are risking their lives crossing the central Mediterranean sea, trying to get to Europe.
• They want to escape war, persecution, violence and poverty.
• They hope to find safety in Europe and a better life, but their journeys are perilous.
• In recent years, Malta has experienced many asylum seekers who migrate in an irregular way, by not having the necessary documents.
• Many of these migrants would be seeking to claim the status of a refugee.
• Irregular immigration has become one of Malta’s top policy priorities, nationally as well as at the EU level, where Malta has been calling for
  burden-sharing mechanisms and support from other EU countries in coping with the growth in irregular immigration.
• As in many other European countries, the growth in irregular immigration into Malta has been accompanied by a rise in anti-immigrant, racist movements and activities.
• The emergence of clearly xenophobic movements and parties has been a complete novelty in Malta’s political landscape.
• Moreover, and somewhat more worrying, there has been a rise in attacks against organizations and individuals working to protect the rights of immigrants, or against people denouncing racism. In 2019, for the first time, a drive-by shooting of migrants led to the first racially-motivated murder in Malta.
• In the first nine months of 2014, over 2,500 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean – a new record (Amnesty International, 2014). Furthermore, in 2018, an average of six lives were lost trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea every day (UNHCR, 2019).

Question 105

Multicultural society – Pluralism

Answer 105

• A multicultural society is when ethnic or cultural groups co-exist in the same society.
• Multicultural societies are the result of people travelling in order to find better jobs and achieve a better standard of living.
• The United States has traditionally been a pluralist country welcoming people from all corners of the world, although recent political developments might lead one to think there has been a change in this respect.
• But then, people coming from the same cultures and having the same lifestyle have a tendency into grouping together forming places as China Town and Little Italy.
• People having cultural difference have not always managed to live together in peace, for example, the Turks and the Greeks in Greece.

Question 106

Do you think that Malta is a multicultural society? Why?

Question 107

HOMEWORK

Answer 107

Essay: minimum of 300 words. Tourism and immigration are changing Maltese people’s social environment. Discuss how justified this statement is.

Question 108

Leisure in Malta

Answer 108

• Leisure time is understood to be free time to engage in a pastime or activity of one’s choice.
• Reading, practising a sport or a hobby, and attending social activities are typical leisure time activities.
• In pre-industrial societies, there was no clear-cut division between work and rest.
• The household was both the place of work and leisure. In contrast, today many people go to work for a predetermined and fixed number of hours.
• The time that a person spends at work has become much shorter in the industrialised countries in the last century.
• This implies that people have more leisure time.
• The Catholic Church has played an important role in Maltese history and it is not surprising that much of the village life and leisure traditionally revolves around religious activities.
• The climax of these is the annual local festa, an expression of local culture, village consciousness and, today, also a tourist attraction.
• Many other social events in the annual calendar are an interesting mixture of the religious and the profane:
  
  • Carnival held just before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent
  • St. Francis accompanied by the blessings of animals
  • St.Peter and St.Paul (imnajra)
  • St.Gregory’s Feast (San Girgor) is typically the day for the launch of the swimming season
  • Our Lady of Victory (Il-Madonna tal-Vitorja) when the renowned regatta is held in the Grand Harbour.

Answer 109

• The Catholic Church has played an important role in Maltese history and it is not surprising that much of the village life and leisure traditionally revolves around religious activities.
• The climax of these is the annual local festa, an expression of local culture, village consciousness and, today, also a tourist attraction.
• Many other social events in the annual calendar are an interesting mixture of the religious and the profane:

1. Carnival held just before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent
2. St. Francis accompanied by the blessings of animals
3. St.Peter and St.Paul (imnajra)
4. St.Gregory’s Feast (San Girgor) is typically the day for the launch of the swimming season
5. Our Lady of Victory (Il-Madonna tal-Vitorja) when the renowned regatta is held in the Grand Harbour.

Question 110

Leisure activities today

Answer 110

• Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in the importance of leisure.
• Higher spending power, greater mobility, a considerable increase in the number of private cars, the opening of new and diversified entertainment centres, combined with a need to have fun have all had an impact on new leisure patterns of the Maltese.
• Nowadays, city-life entertainment can be reached within minutes from any place on the island; young people are able to go out more often, at very late hours and to mix freely with peers of both sexes and of different nationalities.
• Another marked difference in leisure activities of the past and those of today is the nature of such activities.
• Past activities were all in one way or another linked to religion –
  Carnival just before Lent, Imnarja as thanks for the fruitful season, and feasts to celebrate the village’s patron saint.
• Nowadays, leisure activities are very secular and materialistic,
  for example, parties, going to the cinema, and night clubs.

Question 111

Politics

Answer 111

Politics as a process of participation in civic life

• Politics is concerned with the organisation of people for the achievement of common interests and with the exercise of power for such achievements.
• Politics is about who influences who and how.
• Politics may be found at different levels, the most obvious one is the national level, where politics is related to the right to govern.
• Politics is also found at an international level where it deals with relationships between governments of different countries and within multinational organisations.
• Finally, politics is also closer to you than you might think, even within your family!
• Civic life includes the participation of citizens in activities concerning their locality and country.
• Participation and involvement in public life is of key importance in a democratic society.
• Participation and involvement in public and civic life means taking part in the decision-making process of a country.
• Involvement is part of the rights and duties of every citizen. The act of being a citizen of a particular country confers both right and duties.
• Rights are certain freedoms given to the citizens by the constitution of the country.
• Examples of rights include freedom of speech and freedom of association such as joining any pressure group.
• Duties are our obligations and responsibilities towards our society like respecting private property and keeping the country clean.

Question 112

Give an example of each of the following:

Answer 112

1. Participation in your locality.
2. Participation in your country.
3. Participation that can benefit both your locality and your country.

Question 113

Democratic way of life for citizens

Answer 113

• Democracy is a political system which has a representative government that is freely elected from the adult population every specific period.
• It includes the one man one vote principle. Whether you are young (at least 16 years old) or old, well-educated or illiterate, poor or rich, every person carries the same weight when it comes to expressing one’s preference in an election.
• Through this voting system (election), citizens are able to choose who is going to rule their country.
• Democratic values include freedom of speech and thought, and respect towards those who are in some way or another different. This gives a democratic society a pluralistic aspect.
• Pluralism means that society has to accept the fact different members might have different opinions.
• A true democratic society allows and provides the means by which these different opinions are expressed.
• This will probably lead to the formation of pressure groups. These are groups of people that have common interests and that make the general society aware of what is going on and the need to take action.
• Such groups exert pressure on the government and the general public through press releases, information campaigns, public meetings, publications, and advertisements.
• This is also another form of participation in a democratic society. Examples – Green Peace, Bird Life Malta.

Question 114

The role and development of political parties

Answer 114

• A political party is an organisation which represents the beliefs and interests of particular groups in society.
• They act as pressure groups but they have the potential of becoming a government.
• The evolution of political parties was a slow but steady process. Power was initially mainly in the hands of the church and of the monarchs.
• The French Revolution is a clear example of how the common people rebelled against such use (or abuse) of power.
• The evolution of political parties moved more slowly in colonised countries such as Malta.
• In Malta, the main driving force towards the establishment of political parties was an educational policy.
• In the 1800s, the British colonial powers decided to introduce English as the medium of instruction in schools.
• This divided the Maltese into two distinct groups – those who were in favour of such an idea and those who wanted to keep Italian as the official language.
• The Reform Party, led by Sigismondo Savona, sought to promote the development of English and the gradual elimination of the principles of the traditional Maltese elite.
• The Malta Labour Party emerged in the 1920s from this movement. The Anti-Reform Party, led by Dr. Fortunato Mizzi, sought to block the spread of English and to preserve and cultivate the power of the professionals.
• The Nationalist Party emerged from this movement also in the 1920s.
• Ever since, the fight for power has been between the two main political parties – The Nationalist party and the Malta Labour party.
• A third political party, which has only very recently had some influence on the local politics is the Partit Demokratiku, which was founded in 2016.
• Another notable Maltese political party is Alternattiva Demokratika, which was founded in 1989.

Question 115

The Parliamentary system

Answer 115

• Malta has adopted a Parliamentary Republic system.
• This is where the President is only a figurehead where they perform functions and hold power given to them by the parliament.
• In a parliamentary democracy, like Malta, the major power holder is the Cabinet of Ministers, led by the Prime Minister.
• The ministers and their respective parliamentary secretaries have the responsibility to implement the government’s policies as proposed in their electoral programme.
• The procedure followed in Malta is as follows:
  
  • The minister responsible for a particular department proposes a new law or an amendment to an existing law concerning the same department.
  • This is then discussed in various stages and finally voted upon the House of Representatives.
  • If a majority is obtained, the bill goes before the President who grants consent, turning the bill into law.
  • The parliament involves the President, the speaker, deputy speaker, the ministers and their parliamentary secretaries and the opposition.

Question 116

Local Councils and their role in the local community development

Answer 116

• During their long history, the Maltese Islands have been governed mainly by a central government with the absence of local government.
• All decisions have been taken by the island’s central administration. This was the case until 1993, when local government was introduced in the form of local councils.
• The territory of the Maltese islands was divided into 68 different localities each with its own democratically elected local council.
• These local councils have been empowered to take decisions regarding the collection of household waste, and the maintenance of public spaces.
• Local councils are to be consulted by the central government when it comes to taking decisions on a local and national scale such as buildings especially public works, traffic schemes, and environmental projects.
• Local councils are also funded by the central government.
• Local councils also lead to decentralisation of power.
• This is when power is spread among different parts and there is division of labour and responsibilities.
• Through local councils, participation by the citizens is much more possible.
• This happens because a common person can voice their opinion and be heard. Citizens are also encouraged to take part in an active way for the benefit of their community, for example, through voluntary work.
• Local councils also give the opportunity for the young citizens to be involved in their local community. Young people aging from 14 to 18 may opt to be members of the Youth Local Councils.
• Here, these young citizens are given the opportunity to express their opinion and discuss matters with their local council.
• Youth Local Councils may propose projects with a proper action plan to their local council.
• There are about 40 local councils that give such an opportunity to the young members of their community.
• Examples of such local councils are Mosta, Hamrun, and Naxxar.

Question 117

HOMEWORK

Answer 117

Essay of at least 250 words A democratic environment is possible when people learn and live democracy. Discuss how you can live as an active citizen in your locality and your country.

Question 118

The Constitutional Development of Malta

Question 119

Definition

Answer 119

• The constitution is the highest form of law of a nation.
• It acts as a basic charter, which embodies all of the fundamental rights and regulations governing individual, social and political rights along with the details on the procedure and functioning of the nations’ political system.
• The constitution can be understood as a contract which a particular state enters into with all its citizens.
• There is also what is called a Constitutional Court, where citizens have the right to take legal action if civic constitutional rights and freedom are felt to be obstructed.

Question 120

Sette Giugno and the Granting of the self-government constitution (1921)

Answer 120

• Following the end of the WWI in November 1918 there was a mood of discontent prevailing on the island due to various factors including the political situation, unemployment, and the price of bread.
• In February 1919 a National Assembly was convened in Valletta under the presidency of Dr Filippo Sceberras to obtain better constitutional concessions.
• On the 7th June 1919 riots broke out as a result of the prevailing unrest, both economic and political, during which four Maltese were killed.
• In 1921 Malta was granted the Amery-Milner Constitution which ensured autonomy in internal affairs when a diarchic system of government was introduced.
• Control was divided between a Maltese government and an Imperial government which had control over many ‘reserved matters’.
• The local government has seven ministries to manage local affairs.
• However, in 1933 the Nationalist party led by Enrico Mizzi had won the election.
• This party greatly favoured Italy and the British were not exactly pleased about this.
• The Amery-Milner constitution was thus revoked in the same year and Malta took the role of a British fortress.

Question 121

The 1947 Constitution

Answer 121

• After the WWII War the MacMichael Constitution (1947) was introduced which ensured self-government for internal affairs in Malta.
• It granted the right to vote to men and women over the age of 21 (universal suffrage), but such things as defence, immigration, nationality, treaties, postal censorship and other items were considered as ‘reserved matters’.
• Though a number of political parties appeared during this period, the principal two were the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party.
• The results of the general elections of 1955 put Mr. Mintoff to power.
• He put forward the proposal for Integration ensuring political, social and economic union of Malta with Great Britain.
• The situation was affected by a political-religious quarrel that ensued between Church Authorities and the Malta Labour Party.
• A Referendum about Integration was considered as having given an unclear result – not enough people had voted.

Question 122

The Granting of Independence

Answer 122

• With regards to Malta becoming independent; this was also voted upon by a referendum, held in May 1964.
• The majority voted in favour. The date for Independence was set for the 21st September, 1964.
• The Independence Constitution, however, still recognised Elizabeth II, queen of England, as the head of State. Dr. George Borg Olivier became the first Prime Minister.
• Once Independence was achieved, Malta started to play its part in international relations.
• Its independence was immediately recognised by China, USA and USSR and it soon started to join international organisations.

Question 123

Malta becomes a Republic

Answer 123

• In the 1971 elections, the Labour Party gained a majority.
• On the 13th December 1974 the Constitution was amended and Malta became a Republic having Sir Anthony Mamo as its first President. Malta was still a member of the Commonwealth.
• Thanks to this, Malta became a Parliamentary Republic which means that the President is elected by the Parliament and not from the people.
• On 31st March 1979 the Defence Treaty came to an end and British forces left the Island.
• This is when Malta celebrates Freedom Day.

Question 124

Malta in the European Union

Question 125

The origins of the European Union (EU)

Answer 125

• In a few words, the EU is a group of European countries that have agreed common laws on a wide range of subjects.
• Its role is to support national governments in policy areas where common action by all EU governments is more effective than each country acting on its own.
• It is an international organisation that was established by national governments as a tool they could all use to agree on common actions in specific policy areas.
• The historical roots of the European Union lie in the Second World War.
• The idea was born because Europeans were determined to prevent such killing and destruction ever happening again.
• In the early years, it involved only 6 countries and decisions mostly concerned trade and the economy.
• The original countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands and its original name was the European Economic Community (EEC).
• In the 1970s, then, England, Ireland, and Denmark also joined. In the 1980s Greece, Portugal, and Spain also form part of this organisation.
• As the years went on more countries joined the EU. Malta became a member on the 1st of May, 2004.
• This was the time when the EU experienced its largest intake. Other countries that joined with Malta are Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.
• Now the EU embraces 28 countries (Croatia being the latest addition in 2013) and deals with a range of issues related to everyday life.

Question 126

Institutions of the EU

Answer 126

European Parliament

• The Parliament is the people’s voice. The European Parliament is the only directlyelected body of the European Union. The Members of the European Parliament are there to represent the citizens.
• They are elected once every five years by voters right across the Member States of the European Union.
• No European country can have less than 6 or more than 95 seats. Its role is to draft numerous laws that affect the daily lives of EU citizens.
• Unlike the local parliament, the European Parliament cannot propose new laws it can only accept, reject or put forward amendments to laws proposed by the Commission.
• The EP meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, as well as having offices in Luxembourg.
• Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) do not sit in national blocks, but in seven Europe-wide political groups.
• The largest of these are the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).

The European Commission

• The European Commission is based in Brussels and it is the EU’s executive arm.
• Although it cannot vote on laws, it alone has the right to propose them.
• The Commission is also the EU’s ‘policeman’; in that it is responsible for ensuring national governments play by the rules.
• If the rules are broken, the Commission has the power to prosecute governments before the European Court of Justice, were if found guilty they can face large fines.
• Its members are appointed for a five-year.
• The Commission operates according to the principle of collective responsibility.
• Decisions are taken collectively by the Commissioners, who are collectively responsible before the European Parliament.
• The Commissioners do not have any individual decision-making powers, except when they are authorised by the Commission to take measures in their own name in their area of responsibility. In this case, they undertake the political and legal responsibility of the
  Commission.
• The President plays a significant role: s/he defines the policy direction, assigns portfolios to each of the Commissioners (internal market, regional policy, transport, environment, agriculture, trade, etc.) and can, at any time, change their portfolios.
• Since 2004, the Commission has been made up of one Commissioner from each member state.
• The Maltese Commissioner is Karmenu Vella who is responsible for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The Council of Ministers (Council of the European Union)

• The EU Council is an essential decision maker which together with the European Parliament (EP) adopts legislation and coordinates EU policies.
• The Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) rotates among the EU Member States every six months and the country holding the Presidency drives forward the Council’s work.
• It represents the member states, and its meetings are attended by one minister from each of the EU’s national governments.
• Which ministers attend depends on what subjects are on the agenda.
• If, for example, the Council is to discuss environmental issues, the meeting will be attended by the Environment Minister from each EU country and it will be known as the ‘Environment Council’.
• Altogether there are 10 different Council configurations:

1. General Affairs
2. Economic and Financial Affairs
3. Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)
4. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
5. Competitiveness
6. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy
7. Agriculture and Fisheries
8. Environment
9. Education, Youth, Culture and Sport
10. Foreign Affairs

• Each minister in the Council is empowered to commit his or her government.
• In other words, the minister’s signature is the signature of the whole government.
• Moreover, each minister in the Council is answerable to his or her national parliament and to the citizens that parliament represents.
• This ensures the democratic legitimacy of the Council’s decisions.
• Presidency is an opportunity for each Member State, regardless of its size or the length of the membership, to influence the EU agenda and guide the EU endeavours.
• Malta assumed this role for the first time, from 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2017 taking over from Slovakia and afterwards handing over the reins of the Presidency to Estonia.

Question 127

A cursory look at Malta’s political and economic development in the EU

Answer 127

• Malta had tried to join the EU back in 1990.
• Three years later, the European Commission published its first opinion, called an avis, indicating the main challenges facing Malta to be accepted as an EU member.
• There was then a change in government and the labour party froze Malta’ application.
• In 1998 the Nationalists were once again in power and reactivated Malta’s application.
• This was when a second and updated avis was published indicating what need to improve in order for Malta to be accepted as an EU member state.
• Since joining the EU, Malta benefitted from many European initiatives as the European Structural Funds. These funds would aid social and structural improvements.
• Freedom of movement is another right enjoyed by the Maltese within the EU. Every single European citizen has the right to travel, study, work and live safely anywhere in the EU –this was part of the Treaty of Maastricht (1992).
• To further enhance this right, there is also the Schengen Agreement. This is basically an area without any borders currently consisting of 26 European countries.
• One must not forget Malta’s adoption of the Euro currency in January 2008.
• Local economic development has been more focused on the elimination of trade barriers, more efficient tax collection, deficit reduction, and flexible working hours.
• A very good example of a recent economic development would be the Smart City Malta found in Kalkara.
• This obviously increases employment for the locals but it also attracts foreign investments.
• Smart City Malta will create jobs that require a highly skilled worker with a better wage.

Question 128

How it works: European Parliament

Answer 128

1. The European Parliament has 3 official sites for their offices, each having a specific role. What are they?
2. How many MEPs form the European Parliament?
3. How did such MEPs end up at the European Parliament?
4. Not every member state has the same number of representatives.
5. How is the number of representatives for each country chosen?
6. What are the three principle roles of such MEPs?
7. What happens during the Plenary week?
8. What happens during the Committee week?
9. What happens during the Political Groups week?
10. What happens during the Constituency week?

Question 129

Important technical words

Answer 129

• Pluralism - an acceptance that not all opinions and beliefs have to be shared by all the members of society. This is an integral value in democracy.
• Pressure/Interest Groups – Groups of people that unite to work in favour of a purpose that they believe in. Their intention is to put pressure on the government to take measures in respect of the goal that they are after.
• Lobbying - what pressure groups do by means of press releases, information campaigns, public meetings, publications, speaking to government agencies.
• Legislative role/institutions – The Parliament has this role. It has the power to pass new laws or amend old ones.
• Judiciary role - the checking mechanism of a society which is the hands of the law courts. This would include the judges, magistrates and lawyers. Its function is the monitoring and exercise of social justice without favours.
• Executive Role – This is in the hands of the government, which is made up of the winning political party, and makes up the majority of the parliament. This would include the Prime Minister, the Ministers, and the parliamentary secretaries – these three together make up the Cabinet of ministers and takes all decisions concerning the governing of the country.