The life-course transitions of young women in a Maltese context

This study analyzed how a cohort of eight young women who underwent certain difficulties whilst at secondary school experienced their transition from secondary school to either work or further education. It explores changes in their perception of events and happenings that they classified as significant to them, and the influence that these changes of perception had on their evolving life-course. While not formally classified as emotionally or behaviorally challenged, all the participants in this study claimed to have had varying depths of difficulty when at secondary school, some alleging that they had been classified as troublesome by their teachers and others claiming to have seen themselves as disruptive in classroom settings. The study was informed by the participants’ voices about how they saw their transitions being forged and has a phenomenological focus.peer-reviewe

School-to-work transitions and the life-course : an ecosystems analysis of a cohort of at-risk youths in Malta

The manner in which school to work transitions are approached by young people is a significant aspect of their educational experience because of the implications that this transition has on their overall socialisation as members of society. This exploration is focused upon how a cohort of young men who attended a second opportunity all-boys’ school for at-risk students in Malta, in the early to mid 1990s, engage in these transitions. It is aimed at defining how influential the participants perceive their relationships with their primary carers or families-oforigin during their upbringing years to have been in their defining occupational or career outcomes, whether their schooling influenced these beliefs, and how this was further evolved as they gathered increased work-experience over time.peer-reviewe

When worlds meet : fostering intercultural awareness among young people

This paper will focus on appraising the influence that a particular series of interventions had on the intercultural sensitivity of a group of twelve 16 to 18 year old unaccompanied minor asylum seekers who, after arriving in Malta, were assigned to a purposefully set up residential setting by the competent authorities. These interventions were carried out by Maltese volunteers from a local NGO (Caritas, Malta) to generate a better understanding of Maltese culture and way of life amongst the asylum seekers and to enhance their intercultural communication skills. The interventions were constituted of once-weekly experiential sessions which were based on activities such as team-building and language games, arts and crafts activities, and cooking. The study is based on a qualitative methodology that involves both researcher-based participant observation and ongoing interviewing with the young people concerned.peer-reviewe

Work-Life Balance, Upward Career Mobility and Further Education: The Case for Working Mothers

n/

What do older people learn from young people? : Intergenerational learning in ‘day centre’ community settings in Malta

This study analyses what motivates older people to attend ‘day centres’ in Malta and what they believe that they derive from young people who carry out their placements at these day ‘centres’ These young people, who are aged 16–17, attend a vocational college in Malta and are studying health and social care. The study is based on a qualitative approach and employs the usage of focus groups. The main findings are that the elderly see the students as helping them on an emotional level by giving them encouragement, and on a practical level, by offering them insights that help them in modern-day life

The community of philosophical inquiry´and the enhancement of intercultural sensitivity

This analysis shows how P4C can be used as a tool to enhance greater intercultural sensitivity. A group of young Maltese university seekers and teenage unaccompanied minor asylum seekers engaged in dialogic inquiry, in the process changing the way in which they see their individual subjective identities. The analysis moves away from the application of P4C in formal educational settings and also moves away from its application in childhood settings. In this manner, it aspires to advance knowledge of how P4C can be creatively applied to generate such values as understanding, empathy, dialogue, acceptance of self and others, and sharing. It also shows how people can heal certain past hurts through sharing and also help them to generate hope of a brighter future. Their formation into a community of inquiry is an outward manifestation of their inner quest for a greater understanding of their own realities and their desire to understand people of other cultures. Through providing an account based on listening to the voices of the young asylum seekers, the analysis is informed by the transience of lived experiences and the youthfulness of the asylum seekers. It is based on an inter-disciplinary blend of psychoanalytic, socio-cultural, and philosophical thinking.Essa análise mostra como a Filosofia para Crianças (FpC) pode ser usada como uma ferramenta para intensificar a sensibilidade intercultural. Um grupo de jovens investigadores universitários malteses e investigadores adolescentes órfãos moradores de um orfanato são engajados numa investigação dialógica, num processo de mudança do modo como eles vêm suas identidades subjetivas individuais. A análise sai da aplicação da FpC num ambiente educativo formal e também de sua aplicação no âmbito da infância. Desta maneira, o trabalho procura avançar no conhecimento sobre como a FpC pode ser aplicada criativamente para garantir tais valores como compreensão, empatia, diálogo, aceitação de si e dos outros, e compartilhamento. Ele também mostra como as pessoas podem curar algumas feridas do passado através do compartilhamento, e também as ajuda a criar a esperança de um futuro mais luminoso. A participação deles numa comunidade de investigação é uma manifestação externalizada de suas questões pessoais para uma melhor compreensão de suas próprias realidades e seus desejos de entender as pessoas de outras culturas. Através da importância dada à escuta da voz desses investigadores órfãos, a análise é conformada pela transição de experiências de vida e a juventude dos investigadores órfãos. O trabalho é estruturado numa combinação interdisciplinar de psicanálise e pensamento socio-cultural e filosófico.Este análisis muestra como filosofía para niños (fpn) puede ser usada como herramienta para cultivar una mayor sensibilidad intercultural. Un grupo de jóvenes investigadores universitarios de Malta y un grupo de menores investigadores de un asilo se comprometieron en una investigación dialógica, en un proceso de cambiar la manera en que ellos ven su identidad subjetiva individual. El análisis se distancia de la aplicación de fpn en un contexto de educación formal y también se aleja de su aplicación en espacios infantiles. De esta forma, aspira a propiciar conocimiento sobre como fpn puede ser creativamente aplicada para generar valores como el entendimiento, la empatía, el diálogo, la aceptación del yo y de los otros y el compartir. También muestra cómo las personas pueden superar ciertas heridas del pasado al compartirlas con otros y también ayuda a las personas a generar esperanza en un futuro más luminoso. La formación en ellas de una comunidad de investigación es una manifestación externa de su búsqueda interior de una mayor comprensión de sus realidades y su deseo de entender personas de otras culturas. Al ofrecer un relato basado en la escucha de las voces de los jóvenes investigadores del asilo, el análisis se informa por la transición de las experiencias de vida y la jovialidad de los investigadores del asilo. El trabajo se basa en una combinación interdisciplinar de psicoanálisis y pensamiento filosófico y sociocultural

The community of Philosophical Inquiry in a Multicultural Context

The presentation focuses on how a group of teenaged young people from different cultural backgrounds engaged in building deeper interpersonal relationships after having engaged in community of inquiry based groups. Some of these people came from asylum seeking backgrounds and the focus of the discussion was on exploring the realities of college life as young people from an asylum seeking background experienced them. The presentation shows the importance of adopting a requisite facilitator style that is conducive to enabling participants to question reality from different perspectives

philosophy for children. appraising its impact on college level students

This paper is centered on analyzing how a ‘philosophy for children’ lecturing methodology (Lipman, Sharp and Oscanyan, 1978) can foster learning amongst foundation-level students at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, MCAST. This is a college that offers VET (vocational education and training) in different areas to students aged 16 and over. Foundation level courses are at level 1 of the National Vocational Qualifications framework, this level being the most basic. The students in this study are reading Health and Social Care. The courses on offer at MCAST in Health and Social Care go up to level 6, the level of an undergraduate degree level qualification. It is possible for students to progress from level 1 to level 6 over seven years of study. Alternatively, they may terminate their studies with a lower level of qualification, including after completing the Foundation level course. The methodology that has been adopted is based on engaging these students in continual questioning and philosophical reflection on the subject matter and on their connecting it with learning derived from other sources and from their personal life-experiences. It is based on engaging them in asking their own questions, exploring concepts that they deem as important, learning from each other’s points of view, and thereby understanding themselves and others from a more reflexive perspective. It is both lecturer-centered and student-centered since lecturers model appropriate procedures of inquiry, encouraging students to find a voice so as to challenge what they deem as unacceptable, rather than intervening so as to impose pre-empted conclusions. The analysis is based on an ethnographic approach that is informed by the students’ voices and that involves field observation and focus-groups. It is anticipated that this study will provide an understanding of the student’s own assessment of the benefits of stimulating their philosophical curiosity through the medium of applying a philosophy for children methodology to Health and Social Care studies amongst college students. Key-words: Identity; critical pedagogy; changed beliefs; questioning; self-reflectionEste trabalho destina-se a analisar como uma metodologia de ensino de “filosofia para crianças” (Lipman, Sharp e Oscanyan, 1978) pode fomentar o ensino em nível de fundamentos, entre estudantes da Universidad de Malta de Artes, Ciência e Tecnologia (MCAST). Esta Universidade oferece o VET (Educação e Formação Profissional) a estudantes com idade a partir de 16 anos. Os cursos de fundamentos estão no nível 1 do Quadro Nacional de Qualificações Profissionais, sendo este o nível mais básico. Os estudantes desse estudo estão estudando Saúde e Cuidado Social. Os cursos oferecidos no MCAST em Saúde e Cuidado Social vão até o nível 6, nível correspondente à formação de nível superior. Os estudantes podem fazer este percurso, do nível 1 ao nível 6, em 7 anos. Alternativamente, podem terminar seus estudos em um nível mais baixo, inclusive depois de terminar o curso de nível fundamental. A metodologia que tem sido adotada está calcada em engajar os alunos em um contínuo questionamento, também na reflexão filosófica sobre a matéria estudada e em conectá-la com aprendizagem de outras áreas e suas experiências pessoais. A metodologia está baseada no comprometimento dos alunos na formulação de perguntas próprias, explorando os conceitos que eles consideram importantes, aprendendo desde o ponto de vista de cada um. Assim, eles entendem a si mesmos e aos outros desde uma perspectiva mais reflexiva. Está centrada tanto na exposição do professor quanto no aluno, na medida em que as exposições modelam os procedimentos apropriados de investigação, estimulando os estudantes a encontrarem uma voz que permita-os a desafiar o que consideravam inaceitável, mais do que intervir para impor conclusões pré-determinadas. A análise se baseia em uma aproximação etnográfica que toma sua forma pelas vozes dos estudantes e que envolve observação de campo e grupos focais. Antecipa-se que este estudo vai promover uma compreensão da própria avaliação dos estudantes acerca dos benefícios de estimular suas curiosidades filosóficas por meio da utilização de uma metodologia de filosofia para crianças nos cursos de Saúde e Cuidado Social entre os estudantes universitários. Palavras-chave: Identidade; pedagogia crítica; crenças mudadas; questionamento; auto-reflexãoEste trabajo se centra en analizar cómo una metodología de enseñanza de “filosofía para niños” (Lipman, Sharp and Oscanyan, 1978) puede alimentar la enseñanza en el nivel de fundamentos, entre estudiantes de la Universidad de Malta de Artes, Ciencia y Tecnología (MCAST). Esta Universidad ofrece VET (Educación y Formación Vocacional) a estudiantes con edad a partir de 16 años. Los cursos de fundamentos están en el nivel 1 del Cuadro Nacional de Calificaciones Vocacionales, siendo el nivel más básico. Los estudiantes de este estudio están estudiando Salud y Cuidado Social. Los cursos que se ofrecen en MCAST en Salud y Cuidado Social van hasta el nivel 6, nivel correspondiente a una formación de grado. Los estudiantes pueden hacer ese trayecto, del nivel 1 al 6, en 7 años. Alternativamente, pueden terminar sus estudios en un nivel más bajo, incluso después de terminar el curso de nivel de fundamento. La metodología que ha sido adoptada está basada en comprometer a los estudiantes en un continuo cuestionamiento y en la reflexión filosófica sobre la materia estudiada y en conectarla con aprendizajes derivados de otras fuentes y de sus experiencias de vida personales. Está basada en comprometerlos a que se formulen sus propias preguntas, explorando conceptos que ellos consideran importantes, aprendiendo del punto de vista de cada uno y, por lo tanto, entendiéndose a sí mismos y a los otros desde una perspectiva más reflexiva. Está centrada tanto en la exposición del profesor cuanto en el alumno, en tanto las exposiciones modelan procedimientos de investigación apropiados, animando a los estudiantes a encontrar una voz que les permita desafiar lo que consideran inaceptable, más que intervenir para imponer conclusiones predeterminadas. El análisis se basa en una aproximación etnográfica que adquiere su forma por las voces de los estudiantes y que implica observación de campo y grupos focales. Se anticipa que este estudio va a proveer una comprensión de la propia evaluación del estudiante de los beneficios de estimular su curiosidad filosófica por medio de la aplicación de una metodología de filosofía para niños a los Estudios de Salud y Cuidado Social entre estudiantes universitarios. Palabras clave: Identidad; pedagogía crítica; creencias cambiadas; cuestionamiento; auto-reflexivida

“On the Way to Freedom”

The arrival of migrants from various parts of Africa in relatively large numbers to the central Mediterranean island of Malta was an unprecedented experience for the locals prior to the early 2000s. This article focuses on exploring the processes that unaccompanied minors go through to become asylum-seekers in Europe and to move on from there to further evolve their life projects. It also explores the role that ethnographers play in retelling their stories, so as to show how these transitions can be better understood. This is particularly because, in most cases, Malta serves as a transit country which they will eventually leave to settle elsewhere. The article shows how the active participation of ethnographers does not simply serve as an “add on” to the data acquired but rather contributes to a co-construction of meanings in an inter-cooperative way