Take stock before the situation escalates!

Recently, Dr Gordon Sammut, an academic member of staff from the Department of Psychology within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, who also leads the Psychology Lab, presented two papers during a symposium held at the University of Malta Valletta Campus.

Dr Andrew Azzopardi Dean Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta & Broadcaster – Għandi xi Ngħid www.andrewazzopardi.org

Following this symposium, the Faculty for Social Wellbeing feels the need to express its concern that in matters of intercultural relations between different groups in our society, Malta lags behind a number of other countries in respect of offering its immigrants the opportunity for integration. This situation is worrying, and calls for appropriate social and public policy measures to address it.

Towards this end, Dr Sammut from the Faculty for Social Wellbeing launched two research studies during this symposium held on 18 January.

In the first study, Dr Sammut and Professor Maryanne Lauri investigated intercultural relations between the Maltese and five other ethnocultural groups, looking into their attitudes and expectations towards migrants. Although a number of Maltese expressed a preference for assimilation (where migrants are expected to take on the values and practices of their host society) and also for exclusion, their main preference was for multiculturalism, where diverse ethnocultural groups live together in mutual tolerance and respect without forfeiting their respective identities.

While this is positive, the Maltese were less likely to prefer multiculturalism than were other groups.

Surprisingly, and in contradiction to most of the literature, the Maltese who felt most secure and who expressed highest self-esteem were least likely to embrace a multicultural ideology. Those Maltese with more ethnic friends, and who met these friends more frequently were more likely to endorse multiculturalism. Regrettably, the study also found that the more contact that ethnic groups have with the Maltese, the less these groups aspire to multiculturalism.

Over three quarters of Maltese respondents report meeting their foreign ‘friends’ rarely or never, whilst 46% report having no friends who are not Maltese. The dire situation extends further to the migrant population in Malta. The study reveals that migrants who favour integration report lower levels of wellbeing in Malta than those who do not. Additionally, immigrants who report higher levels of contact with the Maltese also report lower preferences for integration. Amongst the various groups, the Maltese and the Arab groups report the highest preferences for assimilation into Maltese society.

According to Dr Gordon Sammut, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology of the University of Malta, this suggests that part of the reason why Malta has so far been spared conflict with its Arab migrant community is the fact that Arabs in Malta strive to assimilate rather than integrate. Despite this tendency, the study further reports a convergence of antipathy towards Arabs by most other groups.

The researchers suggest that the lower preference among the Maltese for multiculturalism, as well as their higher preference for assimilation and for exclusion relative to other ethnic groups, is a cause for concern. This is particularly true in respect of the prevailing negative perceptions of Arab migrants. In respect of attitudes between groups, all six groups rated the others positively (though to varying degrees), except for the Maltese and Asians who both rated the Arab group negatively. In fact, for all groups but one, attitudes towards the Arab group were lowest.

More light was shed on this topic in the second study, carried out by Dr Sammut and colleagues from foreign universities, where the researchers examined perceptions of Arabs and their integration. From their interviews with Maltese respondents, the researchers identified a range of arguments made in relation to the integration of Arabs in Malta, which they classified into cultural, socio-political, psychological, religious, stigma and economic arguments.

While a number of these arguments were positive, for instance, in favour of cultural diversity, international relations and trade, the courtesy and friendliness of their Arab acquaintances and their economic contribution, there were more negative arguments than positive. These mainly centred around respondents’ negative perceptions of Islam and what they saw as an insurmountable disparity between cultural values and practices.

Their findings led the researchers to express concern about the ways in which the Maltese tend to essentialise Arabs, making pejorative generalisations particularly on the basis of their religion. They note, however, that respondents who have had contact with Arabs were far more likely to perceive them positively, which led the researchers to call for the promotion of more contact with Arabs; for more positive portrayals in the media and for greater public understanding of Islam.

The Faculty for Social Wellbeing supports the researchers’ call for improved measures that foster mutual tolerance, respect and harmony between all ethnocultural groups in Malta. What is particularly concerning for the faculty is Dr Sammut’s call for serious engagement with these issues before the situation escalates further, at which point conflict may be irreversible in our communities. Dr Sammut called on the Maltese to find a way for transforming cultural diversity into added value. The Faculty calls for improved measures that lead towards convergence, tolerance and harmonious communities.

The findings of these two studies were discussed during a symposium on 18 January on Multiculturalism, Integration and Contact amongst socio-ethnic groups in Malta, organised by Re.Cri.Re (www.recrire.eu) in association with the Faculty for Social Wellbeing of the University of Malta.

The symposium included an opening address by Minister Dr Helena Dalli, Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Dr Andrew Azzopardi, Dean, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, and a panel of speakers made up of Dr Gordon Sammut, Psychology Lab, Dr Carmen Sammut, Pro-Rector Student and Staff Affairs and Outreach, Dr Anna Khakee, Head of Department, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Arts, Dr Sue Vella, Department of Social Policy and Social Work and Dr Maria Pisani, Department of Youth Studies, Faculty for Social Wellbeing.

For further information contact Dr Gordon Sammut: gordon.sammut@um.edu.mt