Papers by Joanne Cassar
The paper traces two historical narratives that took place within the space of two years in the v... more The paper traces two historical narratives that took place within the space of two years in the village of Ħal Luqa in sixteenth-century Malta. The first presents an account of fourteen-year- old Imperia Mallia, who sought refuge in a nunnery in 1533 because of a man who chased her incessantly, in order to marry her. The second story is about Agata Briffa, who in 1535 took legal action against her husband because of domestic violence. Both stories, based on court proceedings, are documented by Micallef (1975). The study of the two narratives reveals the association of gender with the legal procedure of court trials. It examines women’s representations that demonstrate acts of defiance towards the social limits imposed on womanhood. The study discusses the relevance of the two stories in the context of a wider dialogue on gender-based coercion and domestic violence by providing insights into gender relations that resonate with contemporary situations.
Then International Journal of Critical Cultural Studies, 2021
The study of social and cultural transitions that directly affect sexual minority rights is becom... more The study of social and cultural transitions that directly affect sexual minority rights is becoming more pertinent, especially because an increasing number of societies are making their way through a post-closet era. There is a body of research on coming out narratives emanating from individual perspectives and experiences but the coming out of societies features less in research agendas. This article aims at contributing to this area of study by focusing on collective efforts that work toward more equitable cultures and societies. It engages with the social novel “Zamel” (Buffoni 2009) to study multiple factors that enable shifting definitions of sexual minority rights. In particular, we focus on the role of religion in social and cultural transitioning by examining the historical shift from an era that considered homosexuality an aberration to a time when people belonging to sexual minorities could live without fear or punishment.
This article presents a systematic literature review about the sexual practices of young people w... more This article presents a systematic literature review about the sexual practices of young people who live in Malta. These include surrounding issues such as age at first sexual experience, reasons for engaging in sex, number of sexual partners, contraception use and teenage pregnancy. The systematic literature review is also guided by key elements related to young people's perspectives and knowledge base about sexual rights and sexual health. The review presents and critically explores research based on quantitative samples and also draws on findings from qualitative interviews, observational studies and young people's writings on sexuality issues. The review shows that young people in Malta are exploring and engaging with posttraditional sexual lifestyles in which they are culturally and socially immersed. The review is intended to inform policymakers and practitioners working with young people. It also aims to identify preventive factors that are deemed important for securing young people's sexual health and wellbeing. Finally the article identifies gaps in the literature on sexual behaviour and knowledge among young people in Malta.
This article traces the experiences of a Syrian refugee who journeyed from Aleppo to other countr... more This article traces the experiences of a Syrian refugee who journeyed from Aleppo to other countries until his resettlement in Malta. His harrowing story throws light on the politics of space in the context of forced migratory attempts. The study examines Ayman’s subjectivities to demonstrate that the rights to asylum and to movement are continuously contested, negotiated and reimagined. Ayman’s escape, journey and resettlement constituted physical and social spaces that determined his life prospects and forged his destiny. At all stages the struggle to survive triggered strong emotions that Ayman later expressed in order to transmit his appeal for global solidarity that he justified on the basis of the ‘oneness’ of the world. I employ an autoethnographic methodological approach to draw on the power of emotions in the telling of Ayman’s story and make sense of it. Ayman’s story calls for ethical sensibility, forgiveness, hospitality, communal sharing of resources and respect for cultural differences in the aftermath of forced displacement in an era which makes staying and leaving impermanent.
The study examines multimodal, nonverbal communication on birth control, teenage pregnancy and ab... more The study examines multimodal, nonverbal communication on birth control, teenage pregnancy and abortion among a number of female students who expressed themselves through anonymous writings on toilet doors of their educational institution in Malta. Their diverse perspectives on these themes were also related to contraception and sexually acquired infections and how these compromise sexual pleasure in heteronormative relations. Data is comprised of digital photographs of toilet graffiti. The study draws on discourse analysis to understand girls’ thinking about safe sex and surrounding issues according to the discursive formations present in their writings. This approach affirms that written texts are ascribed meanings according to social and cultural contexts in which they occur. Their debates on how lack of contraceptive use might materialize the pregnant and/or the infected body are culturally mediated through a number of discourses surrounding safe sex. The study demonstrates that the girls’ articulations affirm the complexities surrounding their described heterosexual relationships in relation to the un/condomised bodies of the other. Condom-less sex and glow-in-the-dark condoms use are considered two liminal states that between them hold a discursive continuum on issues about sexual pleasure. By debating safe sex students could move across this continuum; not necessarily in a linear way but backwards and forwards according to culturally prescribed dictates on safe sex.
https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s12119-019-09605-7?author_access_token=TxCDBztM_vml4PSwcVDOz_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4LqaOtox30Q5MByomtQuSNAfG_xQHH-0ye9v96jjnoPMrVoaHSaPOcRD98sCMdL-yUVvOeLniyrSHQK3bO-0CAvyf2rSYalQFZgAbW2ZI13w%3D%3D
This article explores a number of ethical implications that could arise in classroom situations w... more This article explores a number of ethical implications that could arise in classroom situations when tackling the topic of intimate partner violence and femicide prevention with adolescent students. Due to their disturbing nature these topics might cause distress to students. The elimination of these topics from school curricula aimed at avoiding potential emotional risks also raises a number of ethical issues. These concern the reproduction of silences that shroud the topics of intimate partner violence and femicide in some cultures. The song “Love The Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna is presented as a teaching tool that could be used to navigate the exposure of material that could be ethically sensitive. The song revolves around the theme of intimate partner abuse and could be considered an example of how violence is made acceptable and normalised through cultures that permit and perpetuate it. Insights from a diffractive methodology are employed to suggest that the use of the song for educational purposes is regarded as potentially helpful for students to think diffractively about the lived realities surrounding interpersonal violence and femicide. The article discusses a number of implica- tions this has for educational curricula.
The positioning of migrant students within schools of the host country is considerably determined... more The positioning of migrant students within schools of the host country is considerably determined by issues related to the language of instruction adopted in these schools. This article presents a qualitative study conducted in two Maltese girls’ secondary schools and examines how teachers and migrant students dealt with language issues. Data were collected through focus groups to find out power dynamics that emerged as a result of the negotiations surrounding issues related to language. The authors draw on Foucault’s works on power relations to demonstrate that learning experiences of migrant girls are situated in language and shaped by joint construction of meanings, which students and teachers create. The findings indicate that migrant students’ use of language functioned as a source of power, which seemed instrumental in developing a sense of belonging at school. Although the study is located within a specific Maltese context, it may be considered relevant to debates about the experiences of English language learners in other geographical and socio-cultural settings
involving migrant students.
The situatedness of the coming out process in space and time shapes the perceptions of parents ab... more The situatedness of the coming out process in space and time shapes the perceptions of parents about what it means to have a gay son. We present a retrospective, qualitative study about coming out narratives of Maltese parents. The study sought to find out whether the initial meanings the parents attached to the coming out of their son had altered as a result of time and circumstances. The findings suggest that over time the parents learnt how to navigate social expectations by changing their perspectives and overall they reported positive adjustment. Various insights about homosexuality were gained as they learnt how to disentangle themselves from old ways of thinking that stood in the way of their happiness. Their relationship with their son acquired new meanings and deeper emotional bonds were formed. Insights about spacetime derived from a posthuman perspective have contributed to our understanding of how the parents came to affirm their son’s homosexual identity. The study suggests that aspects of time and space could contribute to better adjustment for parents in various social settings.
When romantic encounters come to an end they often evoke a plethora of feelings associated with “... more When romantic encounters come to an end they often evoke a plethora of feelings associated with “breaking up”. This article explores this issue in relation to a number of adolescent girls’ views on this topic which emerged during focus group discussions about Eminem’s song Foolish Pride. The lyrics of this song convey resentment towards an ex-girlfriend and accentuate racial elements which, in the words of the song, could be summed up as “Never date a Black girl because Blacks only want your money”. Data were collected in two school settings, involving female students of different nationalities, in order to discover students’ reactions to the provocative lyrics that demonstrate how meanings that surround the end of a romantic relationship are shaped and produced within the intersectionality of gender and race. A diffractive model of analysis is adopted to explore the girls’ concerns with the misogynistic tone underlying this rap song. The girls’ opposition to boys emerges as a central theme. Underlying this resistance however there was also an affirmation of heteronormative femininity. The girls’ perspectives suggest that although students do not passively absorb racialised and heterosexualised constructions of gender, their apprehension of messages mediated through popular media could affirm the gender divide. It could also reinforce estrangements between teenage boys and girls that the media promotes.
Graffiti constitute a particular form of communication, which often conveys meanings in specific ... more Graffiti constitute a particular form of communication, which often conveys meanings in specific cultural contexts. This article presents a multimodal analysis of three graffiti images located in female lavatories of a higher education institution in Malta. Each visual has its own theme which revolves around issues related to (i) a sense of disappointment and dissatisfaction with life, (ii) a need for affection and commitment within romantic relationships, and (iii) sexual orientation and gay pride. Each visual contains drawings and written text and testifies to the need of female students to express themselves in environments, which go beyond formal education in classrooms. A multimodal reading of these visual images explores possible meanings of student’s artistic expressions aimed at voicing their feelings, doubts, struggles, perplexities, and hopes in relation to the issues they raised. We draw on a multimodal analysis to understand the contribution that images make to the understanding of how young people communicate with each other and how visual forms of self-expression could be linked to community building in education institutions. The study presents a number of implications on how peer interactions based on multimodal communication contribute to the understanding of students’ cultures that could lead to community-based learning.
Becoming a man often signifies adherence to social dictates that expect men to be physically stro... more Becoming a man often signifies adherence to social dictates that expect men to be physically strong, self-reliant, resilient, tough and emotionally detached even if this is achieved at the expense of close and meaningful relationships. Dissatisfaction with this type of traditional masculinity has mounted pressure to reevaluate what defines masculinity in efforts to address gender equality and assert the diverse needs of men and women. Perceptions around the masculinity of gay persons and the discourses that associate homosexuality with a " weak " manhood are also being questioned. We present a study that examines perceptions that Maltese parents of gay sons hold on masculinity and how these might affect their relationship with each other. The inquiry fo-cuses on whether coming out has affected the perceptions of parents of gay sons on masculinity, as described by them. We deem this research question important because parents' perceptions on masculinity might affect their relationship with their children. The findings that conveyed through qualitative interviews indicate that the embodiment of masculinity norms was accounted for in various family dynamics and relations and shaped how the parents reacted to their son's coming out and eventual acceptance of his sexuality. Although some aspects of traditional masculinity were held in place even after coming out, the parents were able to shift their perceptions to include a more comprehensive idea about what " being a man " means. This implies that con-ceptualizations on lived masculinities are moving away from social constructs that define it as unitary, stable and uncontested.
This paper presents findings from a study of students’ writings about the erotic. These occurred... more This paper presents findings from a study of students’ writings about the erotic. These occurred in the form of graffiti and were scrawled on toilet doors for female students attending a higher education institution in Malta. The study explores how the erotic was defined and perceived by students, and how they attempted to create alternative spaces to explore their erotic selves through their writing. Foucault’s notion of heterotopia, which refers to spaces enacted for the Other, informs the analysis. Heterotopias subvert the order of spaces and mirror other dominant sites that make up the social fabric. This framework considers the lavatories as heterotopias, through which students broke silences and taboos about the erotic by challenging perspectives concerning sexual relatedness and erotic fantasy. In the absence of sexuality education in the curriculum of the institution in which the study took place, the study suggests that students may have sought out and constructed new ways of learning.
Social influences emanating from cultural and religious factors confront gay young people in thei... more Social influences emanating from cultural and religious factors confront gay young people in their coming out process and often play a part in determining how their parents react to the ‘news’. This article focuses on the ways that social influences revolving around culture, religion and homosexuality interact in ways that shape the perceptions and experiences of Maltese parents in relation to the coming out of their children, as described by them. The study locates the parents as active and passive social agents caught between religious and cultural factors, in ways which involve resistance and complacency, through the production of ‘entanglements’.
Graffiti on the female students' lavatory doors of a higher education institution in Malta, most ... more Graffiti on the female students' lavatory doors of a higher education institution in Malta, most often describing sexual and romantic desires , demonstrates how students create alternative spaces beyond formal learning environments to acquire knowledge about sex and sexual orientation. This article presents a study of the writings that document the student perceptions about lesbianism. A heteronor-mative way of thinking emerged as the dominant characteristic in the exploration of graffiti text, which questioned lesbian identities. This article also explores some of the girls' articulations, which describe their physical attractions toward gay boys/men. The study suggests these writings have created a forum that serves as a platform to actively reproduce, contest, and disrupt heteronormative familiarity and also to facilitate attempts by the lesbian graffiti girls to organize themselves outside the graffiti community.
The embodiment of religion in Maltese culture permeates its social organisations. Specifically, t... more The embodiment of religion in Maltese culture permeates its social organisations. Specifically, the institutionalisation of Catholic beliefs in Maltese society forms value systems and policy in education. This paper discusses the ways that Catholic morality discourses are intertwined with discourses revolving around gender identity, sexual pleasure and the erotic as they emerge from a number of hidden graffiti written on the toilet doors of a postsecondary school in Malta. These graffiti are considered subversive processes of learning, which reproduce, reinforce, question, resist and reject dominant Catholic morality discourses surrounding teenage sexual conduct and gender identity. These students' voices, acting within a graffiti community, offer means of negotiating and resolving tensions, which arise in described romantic and sexual encounters. The discursive spaces created by the graffiti writers question what constitutes 'normal' and demonstrate the contradictory ways that sexual issues could be perceived, understood and experienced. They demonstrate that sexual and erotic knowledge is acquired informally through the hidden curriculum by means of anonymous graffiti, which demonstrate a plethora of mixed feelings surrounding sexual ethics. These writings manifest students' experimentations with public/private boundaries and their attempts at breaking silences, secrecies and taboos revolving around sexualities. The study discusses how adolescent sexual identities are constructed within political, moral, religious and cultural agendas. It addresses the invisibility, voicelessness and non-representation of sexuality education issues in postsecondary curricula.
This paper focuses on a number of adolescent girls’ writings as they occurred in the form of graf... more This paper focuses on a number of adolescent girls’ writings as they occurred in the form of graf ti written on the toilet doors of a postsecondary school in Malta. These graf ti texts are concerned with how their authors try to make sense of their gender identity and involvement in sexual activity and romantic encounters. They highlight the ways through which the acquisition of sexual and erotic knowledge occurs informally outside the formal curriculum, through spaces created and struggled over by students, who negotiate, contest and challenge their differences. This study documents the graf ti as subversive processes of learning, which reproduce and resist dominant discourses of sexuality and sexual conduct. It discusses the invisibility, voicelessness and non-representation of sexuality education issues in the curriculum. It challenges the silences, secrecies and taboos that besiege the area of postsecondary sexuality education and which afford very limited opportunities for adolescents to hear each other’s voices and to give and receive support regarding sexuality issues. The unveiling of adolescent perspectives on sexualities and romantic relationships point to the need for a deeper understanding of the emotional and overall wellbeing of teenagers with respect to gender, romantic relationships and sexual desires.
Chapters in Books by Joanne Cassar
This chapter outlines the situation of young people in Malta in recent years with particular emph... more This chapter outlines the situation of young people in Malta in recent years with particular emphasis on their transition to family life. The chapter starts with a description of social life in Malta as traditionally Catholic but having rapidly secularized and diversified in recent decades. This is followed by demographic trends in respect of young people, particularly in terms of their household arrangements, marriage and divorce, fertility and migration, subsequently discussed in terms of the normative framework. The socioeconomic conditions experienced by young people are presented in terms of labor market and educational outcomes, as well as housing and income. A description of the prevailing institutional framework is then followed by an analysis of the challenges facing young people in forming a family today.
This chapter examines social wellbeing (SW) and its implications on young people's leisure. It ca... more This chapter examines social wellbeing (SW) and its implications on young people's leisure. It captures the perspectives of Maltese professionals on young people's leisure practices in Malta with a focus on social wellbeing as an important contributor to their leisure. Data were collected by means of focus group discussions held with 68 Maltese professionals working directly with young people. These included youth workers, leaders of youth organisations, teachers, counsellors, heads of school, learning support educators, policymakers and other professionals working in youth services. The participants were informed about the findings of a quantitative survey about the leisure activities of young people in Malta (Clark & Cassar, 2013), presented to them prior to the focus group discussions. The quantitative study found out that swimming and social media networking were the most preferred choices of leisure activities. The barriers which hinder leisure were also identified through the quantitative study. With reference to this survey's findings, the focus group discussions with professionals explored ways, which suggest how Maltese young people could increase their wellbeing through participation in leisure activities. The professionals suggested strategies on how to create more awareness about the leisure options available to young people and how to counteract barriers. The professionals identified ways that link leisure with both individual and social wellbeing. Leisure participation by the wider community was considered a reflection of healthy social functioning that impacts on young people's wellbeing.
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Papers by Joanne Cassar
https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s12119-019-09605-7?author_access_token=TxCDBztM_vml4PSwcVDOz_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4LqaOtox30Q5MByomtQuSNAfG_xQHH-0ye9v96jjnoPMrVoaHSaPOcRD98sCMdL-yUVvOeLniyrSHQK3bO-0CAvyf2rSYalQFZgAbW2ZI13w%3D%3D
involving migrant students.
Chapters in Books by Joanne Cassar
https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s12119-019-09605-7?author_access_token=TxCDBztM_vml4PSwcVDOz_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4LqaOtox30Q5MByomtQuSNAfG_xQHH-0ye9v96jjnoPMrVoaHSaPOcRD98sCMdL-yUVvOeLniyrSHQK3bO-0CAvyf2rSYalQFZgAbW2ZI13w%3D%3D
involving migrant students.