Form 4 General. UNIT 1 Way of life in Malta. Bernice Chetcuti. Translated by Ms L Turner

Form 4 General UNIT 1 Way of life in Malta Bernice Chetcuti Translated by Ms L Turner Form 4 General

Culture the way of life of a people Ms. B. Chetcuti Translated by Ms Lana Turner 1 P a g e

Throughout this theme, I, the student will discuss about: T h e influence of mass media, emigration and tourism on the Maltese way of life. Irregular immigration in Malta and the effect this has on the country. The development of a multicultural society. Today s complex way of life when compared to the more simple lifestyle of the past. The entertainment activities: the village feast, horse races, limnarja, agricultural exhibitions, Carnival, the band clubs, the wine bars and folk singing-għana. The difference between ways if entertainment of the past and the present day. Ms. B. Chetcuti 2 P a g e

The Way of Life in Malta The way of life is the typical way every individual chooses to live. In one word, the culture. Culture is considered to be the way members of a society live, which encompasses the ideas and all the traditions which are taught and transmitted from one generation to another. Every country has its own culture. This distinguishes one country from another. So, Maltese culture makes our country unique and different to other countries. Culture is not static, remaining always the same without changing, but it is dynamic. Therefore, culture adapts according to the needs and times of the country. Amongst the things which nowadays are influencing the Maltese way of life we find: 1. Mass media, 2. Emigration and 3. Tourism.... I imagine you are saying But what have these three things got to do with the way of life the Maltese live? How are these influencing us? You bet they are influencing us!!!! Ms. B. Chetcuti 3 P a g e

Let us start with Mass Media... The word mass means a lot, whilst the word media refers to the variety of means through which we communicate. Therefore, mass media means communication for the masses or in other words, communication for a great number of people. Different Types of means of communication: The oldest means of mass communication are the newspapers. These take us back to the seventeenth century. Through newspapers, every individual could read and get to know what is happening around them. However, by time newspapers where no longer the only means of mass communication, but another very effective means was created; the radio. After the radio the television was introduced hence viewers could now not only hear what was happening around them, but watch with their own eyes. Billboards which we see in the roads also form part of media. Nowadays we know of other new means of communication. The twentieth century is considered to be the media century. Amongst which we find the internet, which includes social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, u LinkedIn and mobiles. Ms. B. Chetcuti 4 P a g e

What are the functions of the Media? We can say that media has many functions in our life such as for example: 1. Media has the power to reach a big amount of people across different countries and continents. So the audience would be informed about all that is happening around the world immediately, and in the comfort of their own home. Infact, nowadays we talk of a new concept, the concept of globalisation, because the world has become like a global village. 2. Apart from this, the audience can follow events which are happening in some particular country, as for example the Eurovision. Media therefore is considered as one of the best forms of entertainment; it provides pleasure and rest to those people who are watching. This has led to a change in the way individuals spend their free time. Today we find more children playing on computer than playing in the streets. With the consequence that the type of communication between individuals has changed. Today we communicate more online through the internet than face to face. 3. The means of communication can also be used as a means for self education. We do not acquire education only from our school desks. All we hear, read and watch on the means of communication form part of learning, and of our informal education. Informal education is that learning we do ouside school. Ms. B. Chetcuti 5 P a g e

4. Last but not least, we must not forget that media is a secondary agent of socialisation. Since we are young, we spend long hours following television and looking for information on the internet, means which are serving to educate us and teach us the norms, values and traditions of the society from where they are being transmitted. All this shows how much mass media influences members of society, because it has the power to influence opinions and ideas of the audience and even change the behavior of the viewer. The question is... How does it do this? Ms. B. Chetcuti 6 P a g e Traslated by Ms Lana Turner

studjiso cjali.com The Media and Consumerism! Media makes billions of dollars in profit through advertising. We buy all that they tell us is good, after seeing thousands of adverts. Advertising could be tricking the audience too, because they do not always say the truth and many times we end up buying things we do not really need. This is because an advert is created on purpose to deliver the message that for a person to be happy they need to buy that particular product or to make use of a particular service. This leads to a lot of extra products being bought which after some time get thrown away because they were not useful or because a new product is for sale and we are tempted to buy it. Very often, our decision is based on what we have seen on television, in the newspapers, internet or some magazine. The audience, most particularly youths, buy what they see or what famous people own. Let us take the example of fashion, both regarding hair, as well as that of clothing and accessories! Youths buy only what they see as acceptable to society. This because youths are at an age where they need to feel accepted, loved and to be successful. Apart from this... Media creates an ideal image of beautiful men and women and they fill our minds with their characteristics. It is a subtle way of passing on a message that if you are not like them, you are therefore not cool and that it is high time that you buy the particular product or else try to appear the same as others. Ms. B. Chetcuti 7 P a g e

What does all this lead to? An example of a negative influence which we know is growing is that of the illness known as anorexia and bulimia. There are millions of adolescents who are fighting against this illness because the image to be skinny reigns!! Because of this, thousands die, trying to reach perfection which unfortunately does not exist!!! This is not all... This has also led to secularisation which means that nowadays religion in our country has less influence than ever before. In the past, religion was the solution to everything, and so was given great importance. By time, the value relgion had, started to decrease. Without doubt, mass media was a great influence. Ms. B. Chetcuti 8 P a g e

This because mass media gives very little importance to the happiness religion has the ability to create, whilst it emphasises the happiness one can acquire through material things. In many films which we see for example, a person has sex prior to marriage, or a person is not loyal to their partner, as something normal. These are all situations which are very far from what religion teaches. Therefore we see, how through media, the values of the Maltese are changing. And what can we say about the effects films and cartoons have on children? The quality of films and programmes affect our behaviour, especially that of children, for example cartoons which are full of violence or rude words, or which represent a perfect way of life. Children copy what they see, and that is why we have to be very careful regarding what they are watching. Ms. B. Chetcuti 9 P a g e

The effects of Mass Media on our way of life What do we understand by Mass Media? Name 5 means of communication 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Fill in the blanks by using these words opinions secondary agent globalization entertainment village norms Values information informal The media is a _of socialisation. This because through media we learn the, which are good principles, and the which are unwritten rules and the traditions of our country. So media affects our. Through media we also learn education, especially from some educational programmes or reading on the Internet. Another function of the media is that of, where one can relax from the daily routine. Nowadays we cannot imagine our lives without mass media. Through mass media we acquire and hence keep ourselves up to date with all that is happening both in Malta as well as in other countries. The world therefore has become like a global. We call this concept _. Ms. B. Chetcuti 10 P a g e

Look well at this advertisement and then answer the questions. 1. What product is being advertised? 2. What is the brand name? 3. What is the advertisement showing us? 4. Which is the audience targeted by this advertisment? 5. Do you think this advertisement is affective? Why? Write about how mass media affected the Maltese way of life Ms. B. Chetcuti 11 P a g e

The way of life and Emigration One of the reasons why a country s population may decrease is because of emigration. Imagine you are taking a walk and a young child approaches you and asks you what emigration means. How would you reply?... Emigration occurs when people leave their country to go and live and settle down in another country. We call these people emigrants. On the other hand, one of the reasons why a country s population increases is when you have an influx of citizens from other countries entering another country with the aim of settling there. We call these people immigrants. In Malta we find many immigrants. However, we have to keep in mind that not every immigrant is illegal. An illegal immigrant is a person who chooses to go and live in a country without having the necessary permits. These illegal immigrants normally enter a country either by land or sea. Ms. B. Chetcuti 12 P a ġ n a

As soon as they arrive in a country the authorities check who these immigrants are, and why they have fled from their own country, but because they do not have the necessary documents this is not always possible! The reasons why certain people emigrate or immigrate may be either positive as well as negative. Positive Reasons Some positive reasons which attract people to come to a country are called pull factors. Amongst which we find: 1. Better opportunities of work, with better working conditions. 2. A chance for a different life without danger or discrimination 3. A chance for a better life, without fear of hunger, lack of drinking water or lack of other necessities. On the other hand... Negative Reasons We call these negative reasons which push people to leave their country, push factors. Some of these reasons are the following: 1. Lack of opportunities of work in one s own country. 2. Discrimination such as for example racial discrimination, based on the colour of one s skin. Ms. B. Chetcuti 13 P a g e

3. Situations where there are great dangers such as in a civil war, or disrespect for fundamental human rights. 4. Big problems regarding food and water, which endanger a person s life. 5. Citizens may also leave their country not by choice. This happens if they are exiled from their country. These people decide to leave their country to try their luck in other countries. We call these refugees. Let s say that, under British rule, Malta had an excess of population. This means that there where too many people living on this small island. So, British government had encouraged Maltese men to emigrate for a short time to another country, because in Malta there was a lack of work. However, emigration did not happen only in Malta but, we find it happening all around the world. What does this emigration lead to? This emigration has led to a big mix of different races livng in the same country. Every race has its own different culture. One of the disadvantages of this mix is that it could lead to racial conflicts. A racial conflict means a lack of respect between different races based on physical characteristics especially the colour of one s skin. Due to this, certain groups are advantaged whilst others are disadvantaged..in order to stop this discrimination, everyone has to apprecaiate and tolerate this diversity. Ms. B. Chetcuti 14 P a g e

Multiculturalism in Malta Multiculturalism takes place when in one s country there is more than one culture. In Malta, for example, we find many different cultures being practised. Maltese population is not made up of Maltese only, but of citizens who are coming from many other countries, amongst which: England, Italy and Libya. These citizens are accepted in Maltese society. In Malta African people live as well. Contrary to what we have just mentioned, the African people are not really integrated in Maltese society and therefore face many difficulties to be accepted in other communities. What does this diversity lead to? This diversity has nowadays led to finding different people with different beliefs, and a variety of foodstuffs which we had never heard of before being found in our country. Also a number of Maltese people are nowadays marrying foreign people, and this is leading to Malta s enjoying more multiculturalism. Ms. B. Chetcuti 15 P a g e

The Way of Life and Tourism What can we say about the tourists who visit Malta, especially in summer? How do these affect our way of life? Undoubtedly, the largest industry in Malta is that of tourism. From this industry thousands of Maltese and Gozitan people earn their living. Hence tourists are important for our country. Some jobs which fall under this sector are: 1. Travel agencies: These take care of the needs of the tourist such as seeing to airline tickets, hotels and excursions. 2. Hotels and Restaurants: Where tourists are offered a service. The Receptionist for example, must always be on hand to help the tourist. Cooks and Waiters are responsable for the food service. Apart from this, there are people who look after the rooms such as maids. Ms. B. Chetcuti 16 P a g e

3. Guides: who take tourists on excusions to historical sites and places of interest. The guide gives information about the place they are visiting. 4. Taxi and Coach Drivers: those who drive tourists from one place to another, according to the destination the tourist would like to get to. 5. Shops: clothes/souvenir shops etc, so that the tourists take something back with them to their own country as a memento. Many of the tourists come to Malta for the culture and story of our country. Amongst which: to see historical remains, churches, art, and all those elements which form our culture. The Maltese are very influenced by the tourists, for example; in the fashion of clothes, hairstyles and accessories, type of food they eat, their mentality, etc etc. We see this mostly taking place amongst the young tourists who visit Malta in summer, and who make friends with many Maltese youngsters especially in places of entertainment like Paceville. Regarding all these different cultures, all we can do is adapt, BUT we also have to look after our cultural heritage and always put Malta first. Ms. B. Chetcuti 17 P a g e

Multiculturalism 1. How could the population of a particular country decrease? 2. How could the population of a particular country increase? 3. What do we mean by emigration? 4. What do we mean by immigration? 5. Name an example of a pull and another of a push factor which leads certain people to emigrate. PULL FACTOR PUSH FACTOR 6. What do we mean by mono culture? 7. What do we call a country with more than one culture? Ms. B. Chetcuti 18 P a g e

8. The mixture of races in one country could lead to racial conflict. What does this mean and why? 9. What is discrimination? 10. In your opinion what can we do to stop discrimination? 11. How is the influx of tourists affecting the Maltese way of life? 12. Mention ways in which multiculturalism is bringing about change in culture. Ms. B. Chetcuti 19 P a g e

MALTESE TRADITIONS 1. T h e V i l l a g e F e a s t The most popular tradition with the Maltese which is celebrated every year and in every village and town is the feast. This is tied to a strong religious belief which is an important part in the life of Maltese people. The village feast is divided into two: The internal feast which refers to all that is celebrated inside the church and the external feast which refers to all that is celebrated outside the church: such as marches, bands, fun, noise and fireworks. During the time of the feast, all the roads of the village are decorated for this occasion with pavilions, statues and a lot of lights. All this work is taken care of by the feast committee who organizes and prepares the decorations which very often are put up by many young people. During the previous days before the feast many marches are prepared by the village band and if the village does not have its own band, they get bands from other places. In the past, the village feast used to be the most important day in the life of people. The house used to be decorated for this occassion. For example: if there was a need to paint the house this was done before the feast. Many families invite their relatives to eat and in the evening the house is open and lit. People would wear their best clothes and if possible they would wear something new. In the roads close to the church there would be many kiosks which previously had sold nougat, the traditional Maltese sweet. Nowadays one can find kiosks selling all types of food. The most important part of the feast is the procession with the patron saint. The statue generally is accompanied by the band who play some serious marches. The feast ends when the statue enters the church and the last fireworks are given. In many villages there is still the tradition that the day following the feast the villagers go for the day to the beach in Għadira Bay. Ms. B. Chetcuti 20 P a g e

2. Horse Races Another maltese tradition is that of horse racing. Since the times of the Knights, the road of Saqqajja was known for the races of horses, especially on the day of Imnarja. All those who enjoy this tradition arrive early on a Sunday morning to practice their hobby. On the other hand those who are just spectators are asked to stay behind the rope. This rope is purposely in place for their security. However, normally during the race enthusiasm runs high, and its not the first time that one can see a spectator run into the middle of the road. Amongst the races thera are those related to particular feasts, such as that of the Madonna tal-karmnu and of Santu Rokku which take place in the middle of August. Ms. B. Chetcuti 21 P a g e

3. L-Imnarja Imnarja is the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. This feast started to be commemorated at the time of the Knights and is considered to be the most important feast in Maltese folklore. Imnarja falls on the 29 th of June. Through a procession which goes all around Imdina the news about the feast of Imnarja was proclaimed and they used to show the palji and other prizes to be won at the horse races as well as reading of the rules of these races. In the past there was also the tradition that on the engagement, the boyfriend would promise his girlfriend that when they got married he would take her to the Imnarja feast and that of Saint Gregory. This promise used to be taken seriously so much so that it very often used to be written in the wedding contract. At the beginning of this in the 17 th century Imnarja was a feast of religious devotion like a pilgrimage. For this pilgrimage the people used to meet at Saqqajja from the night before and sleep there. This religious tradition has decreased a lot. After this religious function the people would go to Buskett gardens where amongst the playing of guitars and the singing of the Maltese traditional folklore singing l-ghana people used to spend a night of enjoyment eating rabbits. In more modern times the religious function has been lost completely. Since 1854 the agricultural aspect of Imnarja grew a lot when the Agrarian Society started to orgainse exhibitions of products and farm animals. This was a great crowd puller to Buskett where many go for this exhibition which apart from the vegetables, fruit and animals used to display more products such as honey, cheeslets etc. Ms. B. Chetcuti 22 P a g e

4. Agricultural Displays Without the display of vegetables, fruit, poultry and animals, organised by the Agrarian Society, Imnarja would be devoid of activities which draw to them thousands of people to Buskett. The Agrarian Society is one of the oldest organisations which the Maltese had and it is the only one amongst Maltese and Gozitan farmers. It was set up much earlier than the department for agriculture in Malta, when it had already started to look after some experimental agriculture, new seeds and growing of agricultural products. The organization was led by a committee where the members did not all need to come from the farming sector. The society participated for the first time in the Imnarja feast in 1854. Ms. B. Chetcuti 23 P a g e

5. Carnival Carnival has been held in Malta since 1400 when the Knights of Saint John introduced this. These days of celebration and joking come exactly before Lent, that time of fasting, where people are preparing themselves for the Good Friday feast. At that time people used to fast for 40 days and therefore used to hold carnival to enjoy three days prior to making the sacrifice. Today Carnival is organized by the government and attracts many tourists to Malta.There are many carnival companies who get a subsidy from government to decorate their floats and prepare dancing troupes. This is a time of colour, joking and fun where Valletta is full of carnival floats, people dressed in all types of costumes, and dancing competitions. Today many dress up as modern characters however in the past they used to more often dress up as ghosts, devils or pirates. Although carnival today has become more of a business and touristic spectacle it remains still an important folklore feast to which many antique traditions where connected but have been lost now. Ms. B. Chetcuti 24 P a g e

MALTESE TRADITIONS Mark the right answer Which is the most popular tradition amongst the Maltese? 1. Christmas 2. The Village feast 3. Easter 4. Carnival 5. Lent The Village feast is celebrated every 1. Week 2. Month 3. Year 4. Two years 5. Three years The Village feast is celebrated 1. From home 2. Only in church 3. Outside church only 4. Both in church and outside church The road of Saqajja has long been known for horse races since the time of 1. The Turks 2. The Bysantines 3. The Knights 4. L-Aragonese Horse races are held especially on the day of 1. Carnival 2. Lent 3. Imnarja 4. Christmas Ms. B. Chetcuti 25 P a g e

Imnarja is the feast 1. of the Madonna 2. of Saint Peter 3. of Saint Joseph 4. of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Imnarja is celebrated on the 1. 26 of June 2. 27 of June 3. 28 of June 4. 29 of June Imnarja is celebrated in 1. Rabat 2. Buskett 3. Ta Qali 4. Imdina In Imnarja we find 1. A display of clothes, shoes and accessories 2. A display of vegetables, fruit, poultry and animals 3. A display of furniture and tiles Who introduced Carnival to Malta? 1. The Gozitans 2. The Knights 3. The French 4. The Arabs 5. The Maltese themselves Carnival takes place 1. Before Lent 2. After Lent 3. During Lent Ms. B. Chetcuti 26 P a g e

Entertainment Activities in Malta The change in style of life also brought a change in entertainment. The way people enjoy themselves nowadays we can say is very different to the way people enjoyed themselves in the past. For example, the village feast is still popular with the Maltese, with the difference that today it is more known for the marches, holiday and discos that are held in the clubs than its religious significance. Previously the Maltese used to wait for the village feast to go out and to buy new clothes. Meanwhile today many families go out nearly every weekend and buy clothes whenever they need to. People therefore have started to have more whims. Apart from this, many Maltese nowadays enjoy themselves by travelling or going for a weekend to Gozo, something that did not happen in the past. Previously, children used to play in the streets. Some traditional games where the passju, playing with beads and marbles. Apart from this both children and youths used to help their families in the housework. Today it s different! Nowadays technology has won out. Hence, we do not see children playing outside anymore but they spend a lot of time playing with an X box or a playstation, or else chatting on computer, especially on Facebook. Youths, on the other hand, are more attracted to night clubs, especially those we find in Paceville and they are more concerned with material things such as clothes and the way they look if girls or with cars in the case of guys. All the things we mentioned show us how much life is changing. So, the lifestyle of the Maltese was a dynamic one, meaning it changes and adapts to the times. Whilst certain traditions are still practiced to this day like for example the village feast, many other customs such as folkloristic games or għana have died out and new customs have replaced them. However, we have to keep in mind that it is important for us Maltese that we know about these traditions and customs, most especially what they are and why they where held, and continue to treasure these. After all, these traditions are what make us different to other countries... and it is these that make us MALTESE! Work! Compare the way the Maltese used to enjoy themselves in the past and how they do so today. Ms. B. Chetcuti 27 P a g e

Folkloristic Games Passju Iż-żunżana ddur iddur... Il-Ħabel Ms. B. Chetcuti 28 P a g e

Today s Games MOBILES I PODS X-BOX SMART PHONES TABLETS Ms. B. Chetcuti 29 P a g e

Write around 250 words about 1. The ways of entertainment between those of the past and those of today have changed a lot. Write at length about these changes and say what led to these. Ms. B. Chetcuti Translated by Ms Lana Turner 30 P a g e