Saturday, October 26, 2024

The Malta Sociology Conference 2024

The #MaltaSociologyConference will comprise 12 academic research presentations on Changing Spaces; Culture and Consumption; and Policy and Practice, followed by an open discussion.

A presentation about the new journal of the Sociology Department at the University of Malta - SociologyMT  - will also take place.

The conference is open to the general public. More details, including registration, from here

During the conference, Karl Agius and I will be presenting our research entitled 'Tourism and Urban Development: The case of a coastal village in a small island state". 


Sunday, October 20, 2024

Interview about social media impacts

Thanks to Kyle Patrick Camilleri at The Malta Independent for an engaging interview about the possible impacts of social media: positive, negative, and unknown.

Read here

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Lino Briguglio - No Man Is An Island Book Launch

"The story of the free-thinking, plain-talking, artist, teacher, politician, and world-renowned economist as told by one-hundred or so of his friends, family and colleagues."

Lino Briguglio - No Man is An Island, co-edited by Marie Briguglio and Michael Briguglio, will be launched in the upcoming Malta Book Festival. The book contains over 100 contributions by family, friends, and colleagues.

In this vibrant and colourful publication, many speak of Lino Briguglio as a free-thinker and a plain talker, as a passionate teacher and persevering researcher. Some bear testament to his bitter-sweet experience in politics. Others glimmer with anecdotes of his humour and playfulness, with references to his creativity and art. Together, they portray Lino as the embodiment of joie de vivre.

The book is not only a celebration of Lino, but also of his local and international networks, including the people who have contributed to this publication. In this social construction, his life is interwoven with art, politics, economics, and island studies. It is a journey that spans across eight decades, during which he assumed a plurality of roles.

Most contributions in this book present Lino on the front stage of public life. But there is also the backstage of private life, forged within family life and friendships.

'Lino Briguglio - No Man Is An Island' is published by Kite and book signings will take place at the Book Fair (MFCC, Ta' Qali) on Friday 8 November between 6pm and 8pm, and on Sunday 10 November between 10am and 12pm.

The book can be pre-ordered here and will also be available at leading bookshops. For further details please contact the editors or Kite Group.



Wednesday, October 02, 2024

One to One - Season 2 - Updated Weekly

On Demand - Click Here



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

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

1. L-ippjanar tal-lokalitajiet - X'rwol għandu l-pubbliku? Wendy Jo Mifsud
2. Il-politika għandha tiġi mgħallma fl-iskejjel? Mario Thomas Vassallo
3. X'inhi d-differenza bejn defiċit u dejn pubbliku? Charmaine Portelli
4. Politika ibbażata fuq l-evidenza xi tkun? Marie Louise Mangion
5. Ir-reliġjon mgħejxa xi tkun? Luke Buhagiar
6. Ir-rebħa ta' Trump xi tfisser? Ranier Fsadni
7. Malta għandha storja feminista? Simone Azzopardi
8. L-Akkademja għandha tkun attivista? Angele Deguara
9. Min juża d-droga: X'drittijiet u dmirijiet għandhom? Karen Mamo
10. Xi tfisser in-newtralita' ta' Malta? Valentina Cassar
11.  Il-Ħaddiema: Sħubija mandatorja fil-Unions? Luke Fiorini
(This list is updated every week)

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

#Ħsibijiet (111): Judge first, analyze later

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