Papers by Godfrey Baldacchino
Island studies journal, 2009
A global review of islands and their connections with astronomy throughout history up to the cont... more A global review of islands and their connections with astronomy throughout history up to the contemporary times suggests eight compelling, distinct yet interlocking reasons why islands have been and remain so important to astronomy and astronomers. Islands constitute favourable locations for various types of astronomy-related activities: from tracking satellites and monitoring significant celestial events, to providing exceptional locations to jurisdictions with mandated dark and unpolluted skies. They appeal for their favourable longitude and (especially southern) latitude, as well as for their disposition towards the conditions that the scientific community may expect in an ideal world: relatively clear viewing conditions from a secure, self-contained platform that is, however, endowed with connectivity. This article is written as a contribution to the International Year of Astronomy (2009).
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, 2019
Fifteen years ago Malta joined the European Union (EU) and four years later in 2008 it joined the... more Fifteen years ago Malta joined the European Union (EU) and four years later in 2008 it joined the Economic and Monetary Union. Throughout this period its economy performed exceptionally well, to the extent that it managed to escape the worse ravages of the Great Recession. In general, the majority of the Maltese people support EU membership. Rapid economic growth has produced a general “feel good” sentiment, which is not, however, shared by everyone. The Maltese political system has been dominated for many years by two parties, the Partit Nazzjonalista and the Labour Party, the only ones to elect candidates to the national parliament since 1966. In 2003, the Labour Party, which had opposed EU membership for many years, changed its policy. This brought the curtain down on parliamentary Euroscepticism in the country. In the meantime, economic success has meant that populist small parties have not been able to gain much traction with the electorate, and the established political partie...
Island Studies Journal, 2015
Island Studies Journal, 2008
The pursuit of nissology, or island studies, calls for a re-centering of focus from mainland to i... more The pursuit of nissology, or island studies, calls for a re-centering of focus from mainland to island, away from the discourse of conquest of mainlanders, giving voice and platform for the expression of island narratives. Yet, studying islands 'on their own terms', in spite of its predilection for "authenticity", is fraught with epistemological and methodological difficulties. The insider/outsider distinction does not work all that well when it comes to islands, where hybridity is the norm. This paper seeks to extend this debate, grappling especially with the contributions of Grant McCall and Peter Hay to the sparse literature. Five dilemmas related to indigenous island geographies are presented and discussed, in a semi-autobiographical style.
Island Studies Journal, 2014
Islands have transitioned from being conceived as prototypes of idealised polities to being delib... more Islands have transitioned from being conceived as prototypes of idealised polities to being deliberately engineered as offshore enclaves where the rules of the parent state need not fully apply. With their manageable size, separation and distance from the mainland, small islands are rendered as convenient laboratories for entrepreneurial political engineering, and equally handy sites for research on the same. Island migration policies manifest this contemporary flexibility and creative governance of states. As we approach the 500th anniversary of Thomas More's Utopia (1516), this paper explores these ideas in relation to the migration phenomenon on Europe's southern flank. Using an island studies approach, it discusses the problematique of island spaces caught in this dynamic but which cannot be 'offshore' because, as unitary island states (Cyprus and Malta) and unlike larger states with small outlying and peripheral island components (Italy and Australia), they must...
The analytic category of 'small states' remains problematic in the 21st century. Its legi... more The analytic category of 'small states' remains problematic in the 21st century. Its legitimacy as a rigorous conceptual category continues to be debated; even as small states assume a strident visibility on the world stage because of climate change negotiations. This paper reviews the scepticism that hovers around the small state concept, and invites a largely social constructivist discussion that looks at a syndrome of behavioural issues which are more likely to occur with decreasing polity size. Education remains a key policy battleground for small states, as the latter balance human resource needs with the trans-territorial aspirations of their brightest and ablest (and often wealthiest). In spite of spectacular advances in information and communication technologies, the personality of the small state has not essentially changed; and this remains characterised by rootedness and mobility.
Hajr ukoll lill-Manager u I-istaff tal'-Government Computer Centre Dingli tas-sehem taghhom fl-ip... more Hajr ukoll lill-Manager u I-istaff tal'-Government Computer Centre Dingli tas-sehem taghhom fl-ipprocessar ta' I-ewwel fazi tas-Survey; lid-Direttur u Staff tal-Computer Department u membri ohra ta' I-Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, ta' I-ghajnuna teknika u finanzjarja Ii taw sabiex saret I-analizi necessarja ta' bosta mistoqsijiet tas-survey; lill-istudenti bniet ta' I-Ekonomija fin-New Lyceum li taw kontribut siewi meta sar is-survey; lill-Edith Rizzo li ghamlet ix-xoghol ta' typing kollu necessarju u, fl-ahharnett, lill-Dr Gerard Kester li kien ta' ghajnuna kbira matul I-istadji kollha ta' dan I-istharrig. Ma nistghux nonqsu li nirringrazzjaw ukoll lill-haddiema kollha tal-koperazzjoni u I-ghajnuna taghhom sabiex dan I-istudju jaghti tabilhaqq dehra shiha u vera tas-sitwazzjoni Ii tinsab fiha I-partecipazzjoni tal-haddiema tat-Tarzna fit-tmexxija ta' I-intrapriza taghhom, hekk kif jarawha huma.
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 2005
This paper draws on an European Commission-supported Leonardo da Vinci Vocational Training pilot ... more This paper draws on an European Commission-supported Leonardo da Vinci Vocational Training pilot project-in-progress to review the prospects for SMEs in small island territories. It, focusesing on manufacturing firms, and deliberately selects those which conform to a tough set of conditions of "success": strong and consistent export orientation; local ownership; locally developed or adapted technology; and a workforce of up to 50 employees. This paper is based on "best practice" data collated specifically from five such "successful" firms, each based in one of five European island regions, manufacturing a product which benefits from locally available, raw material input. Research findings suggest that idiosyncratic features associated with smallness and islandness identity facilitate business success in such locations in spite of various well-documented structural handicaps. These features include a strong branding of the product with the respective island and associated characteristics island; free riding on island tourism; limited domestic local firm rivalry; an appreciation of social capital and the "quality of island life"; and the luring of islanders back to their island in order to become local entrepreneurs. SOMMAIRE. Cet article s'inspire d'un projet-pilote de formation professionnelle Leonardo da Vinci, appuyé par la Commission Européenne, pour passer en revue les espérances des petites et moyennes entreprises de petites îles. Avec les manufactures pour point de mire, il choisit celles qui se conforment à de strictes conditions de « réussite » : forte orientation vers l'exportation; possession locale; technologie développée ou adaptée localement; et jusqu'à 50 employés. Cet article se base sur des données « meilleure procédure » recueillies auprès de cinq entreprises florissantes, situées dans des régions insulaires européennes et fabriquant un produit jouissant d'un apport local de matières premières. Les résultats des recherches suggèrent que les traits idiosyncratiques associés à la petitesse et à une identité insulaire facilitent la réussite des affaires, malgré divers handicaps structuraux bien documentés. Ces traits comprennent : forte association du produit avec l'île concernée et ses caractéristiques; avantages tirés du tourisme; rivalité domestique limitée; appréciation du capital social et de la qualité de la « vie sur l'île »; et attraction vers l'île des insulaires exilés pour en faire des entrepreneurs locaux.
Development and Change, 1993
Developing microstates are bountiful on the world political map today. Yet the concept of smallne... more Developing microstates are bountiful on the world political map today. Yet the concept of smallness, apart from being relativistic, conjures up a sense of deviation, indicative of a subtle discrimination which implicitly takes large to be normal and preferable. Based on an extensive yet selective literature review, this article suggests that the orthodox development paradigm, in both its liberal and radical traditions, has borne little relevance to small developing states, either in theory or in practice. On looking more closely at the survival strategies of developing micro-economies, it is proposed that a different conceptualization of 'development' is warranted; one which, for all its negative connotations, is bmth plausible and consistent with the peculiar practices of microstates. THE THEME It was a combination of imperial retrenchment and grass roots agitation, fed by the appeals to rights of self-determination and national liberation which, in the aftermath of the Second World War, led to a profusion of independent states. In 1952 there were around eighty politically independent states; now, just forty years later, that figure has more than doubled. Of these, forty are small or micro states, each with a resident population of less than one million.' There also remain around forty-two other, still dependent, small territories which may be considered as potential microstates and which exercise varying degrees of self-government.* Smallness is of course a relative term, and there are a host of different ways in which smallness may be, and has been, defined.' We are, however, spared most of the confusion by the remarkable combination of
This paper argues for the need to adopt a dynamic approach to demography and migration in the per... more This paper argues for the need to adopt a dynamic approach to demography and migration in the peripheral (often island or remote rural) regions of the North Atlantic. It cautions against the simplified and false dichotomy between gentrification and depopulation, calling rather for a more fluid appreciation of the manner in which people exploit opportunities for mobility as they connect with, and from, peripheral places. In so doing, the paper also identifies the limitations of both data-collection methodologies for demographic purposes, as well as public policy generally, wedded as these are to static categories of time and location. It also reviews qualitative material from Prince Edward Island, a small island province of Canada, which highlights why immigrants may privilege their mobility to 'settling down': some of the reasons given speak to the difficulty of 'fitting into' a tight, albeit friendly, island community. Finally, the paper suggests policies that may f...
Abstract: Certain limitations arise from the persistent consideration of two common relations of ... more Abstract: Certain limitations arise from the persistent consideration of two common relations of islands in the humanities and social sciences: land and sea, and island and continent/mainland. What remains largely absent or silent are ways of being, knowing and doing-ontologies, epistemologies and methods-that illuminate island spaces as inter-related, mutually constituted and co-constructed: as island and island. Therefore, this paper seeks to map out and justify a research agenda proposing a robust and comprehensive exploration of this third and comparatively neglected nexus of relations. In advancing these aims, the paper's goal is to (re)inscribe the theoretical, metaphorical, real and empirical power and potential of the archipelago: of seas studded with islands; island chains; relations that may embrace equivalence, mutual relation and difference in signification. Keywords: archipelago; assemblages; constellations; island relations; island studies; method; repetition © 20...
Amongst the citizens of the Mediterranean archipelagic state of Malta, the current broad understa... more Amongst the citizens of the Mediterranean archipelagic state of Malta, the current broad understanding of landscape as heritage is that it is a key component of the tourism industry but somewhat dead and alien to daily modern life. In its material expression, heritage is tolerable and acceptable as long as it is functional; highly appreciated if appropriated as a private good; but insufferable if it clashes with private and individual interests, foremost amongst which is construction. Moreover, the relationship of the Maltese with the past is also disengaged, elusive and uncertain: they remain bereft of a unifying national consciousness that includes some general agreement about the salient features of their own history, thanks in part to a fierce, political factionalism. And yet, this paper argues that the Maltese may be energized to develop a better appreciation for their island and its past, if a stronger sense of national identity, and a 'progressive sense of place' are introduced. This would appear much more feasible on the smaller island of Gozo than on the main island of Malta. A virtuous cycle could develop between a stronger sense of pride in local landscape heritage as a working, living culture which in turn fosters sustainable development, both of these being driven by a securing and flexing of a stronger jurisdictional capacity.
This article discusses the impacts of railways on islands, and of islands on railways. It argues ... more This article discusses the impacts of railways on islands, and of islands on railways. It argues that railways constitute a development logic that may work well on sprawling mainlands with industrialised economies and large enough populations residing in high-density clusters but they are hard pressed to achieve viability in service-driven island jurisdictions where there are critical mass constrains in terms of both potential passengers and freight, at times even in spite of relative affluence or high population densities. Thus, the mere existence, or even the improvement, of transport infrastructure does not guarantee economic and social progress. Many railways and their histories have now been somewhat accommodated within the service industry of various islands. However, the ‘fatal attraction ’ they have provided to investors, elites and politicians in the past may recur in relation to other, mesmerising technologies, with their promise of serving as development panaceas.
The world’s sub-national, island (or mainly island) jurisdictions constitute a timely, valid and ... more The world’s sub-national, island (or mainly island) jurisdictions constitute a timely, valid and valuable category of political and economic analysis. On the basis of a global, largely inductive and discriminant analysis, five economic and four political capacities are suggested as being characteristic of the innovative development strategies practised today by various island ‘autonomies’. Extant ‘mainland–island relations ’ can provide insights to other smaller, non-island as well as larger players, beyond the strictures of both economic vulnerability and sovereignty.
Abstract: Sand has become such a powerful visual, emotive and experiential component of tourism. ... more Abstract: Sand has become such a powerful visual, emotive and experiential component of tourism. This essay ventures an ontological explanation for the Western world's acquired and now gripping fascination with this particularly mundane material, and its robust current connection with the tourism industry. The paper argues that this engagement with sand's materiality is a culturally determined response, an extension of an encounter with what is seen to be real, in the context of a contemporary experience that is increasingly given over to virtual objects and representations. An anthropology of sand-a conjunction of the cultural and material-with a particular focus on beach tourism, offers a complex, multi-layered experience where the real and the fictive are mutually constituted.
The humble rural cuisine has now been thrust at the forefront of economic development strategies.... more The humble rural cuisine has now been thrust at the forefront of economic development strategies. This conceptual paper is a contribution to a growing critical awareness of the operations of the food industry and helps to foster a critical understanding of how, if at all, local food and its associated culture can help sustain rural tourism particularly and rural communities generally. It is inspired by literature about the international political economy of food and the many experiences of local food development, and is aware of the contrast between the structure of the industry and the hopes associated with its practice on the ground. The paper thus argues that, beyond the glamour and hype, there are those who gain, as well as those who lose, from the current food fad. While it explains the causes of the contemporary craze with food, the paper also interrogates the naïve expectations often placed in food as a motor of rural development, and as the panacea for struggling rural commu...
Sub-national island jurisdictions (SNIJs) manifest diverse expressions of governance within typic... more Sub-national island jurisdictions (SNIJs) manifest diverse expressions of governance within typically asymmetrical relationships with a much larger state. Dubbed 'federacies' in the literature on federalism, these bilateral systems of self-and shared-rule arise almost exclusively on islands. The jurisdictional powers that island federacies enjoy are principally a result of bilateral negotiations between island political elites and a (usually benign) metropole. This bargain is struck against the backdrop of a particular colonial inheritance, a local 'subnationalist' culture, and the varying ambitions of local elites to win jurisdictional powers to advance 'sub-national' territorial interests. At other times, however, island autonomies arise as crafted, deliberate devolutions of central governments eager to exploit islands as 'managed' zones for economic or security-related activity in a globalised economy. In either case sub-national autonomies...
Entrepreneurship on smaller (often island) jurisdictions tends to suffer from the same importorie... more Entrepreneurship on smaller (often island) jurisdictions tends to suffer from the same importorientation or 'cargo cult' that affects many other issues: entrepreneurs are rarely locally bred but are most often 'imported', recruited after long stints in other, larger countries, or else must be suffered to spend regular time away in the metropole. Thus, a successful strategy for developing local entrepreneurship becomes that of luring home those citizens who are away, along with other interested expatriates. Moreover, in spite of so much talk about, and so many ongoing resources dedicated to, entrepreneurship education, there is hardly any evidence that actual and active entrepreneurs from smaller jurisdictions have nurtured, developed or perfected their business skills after, during, or thanks to some formal educational or training programme. These observations call for some sober reflections about how, if at all, entrepreneurship can be promoted effectively in smaller territories. Would it be best, and cheapest, simply to seek to attract immigrants with an entrepreneurial flair? Is there any role that education can genuinely play here? Such searching questions are raised in the context of an exploration of entrepreneurs from a scan of smaller jurisdictions worldwide, and particularly from five European island regions involved in a Leonardo da Vinci pilot project supported by the European Commission.
ABSTRACT. Population, employment and economic capacity continue to concentrate in and around larg... more ABSTRACT. Population, employment and economic capacity continue to concentrate in and around large urban centres. If geography (measured as proximity to large centres of population) increasingly matters in the knowledge economy, then there may be no future for periphery locations. This paper critically reviews and refutes this hypothesis by looking at the world's small islands. Handicapped by size and distance, they are unable to generate scale dynamics nor to regularly access any neighbouring, large metropolitan centres. Nevertheless, jurisdictional resourcefulness resulting from sovereignty or subnational autonomy fosters compensatory policy capacity. Demand for niche-technology manufactures and craft-based, labour-intensive or place-specific services is likely to persist. Cyclical migration strategies allow islanders seeking work or education off island to tap the metropole and re-inject resources to reinvigorate the periphery. Remittances, aid, bureaucracy and other '&...
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Papers by Godfrey Baldacchino