All in the Name of the Family

by Kurt Sansone for MaltaToday (08/04/2001)

He believes Malta's family-centred culture is partly to blame for corruption, tax evasion and environmental degradation. He asserts that Malta's identity will be strengthened by EU membership. He also clamours for a different electoral system to give space to other parties

Critical? Maybe, but Dutch professor, Jeremy Boissevain, also loves Malta and its people, as KURT SANSONE found out.

Malta's family-centred culture is to blame for much of this country's political and environmental ills, according to a retired Dutch anthropology professor.

Prof. Jeremy Boissevain, who has been studying Malta's social life for the past 40 years, is no newcomer to these islands. He first came here in 1956 as a Chief of Mission for the American relief organisation CARE.

I caught up with Prof. Boissevain just before he left Malta. Asked about his view of Malta and the Maltese, the 72-year-old Dutchman, explains that the Maltese view the family as the centre of everything. He describes this extreme family centredness as "amoral familism", a belief that any behaviour is justified if it furthers the interest of the family.

"This can lead to corruption and tax evasion. Such an attitude leaves little sense of loyalty to the community or the state," Prof. Boissevain explains.

Recalling the protests against the proposed Siggiewi cement plant two years ago, Prof. Boissevain says that residents came out against the project because it threatened their health.

"They protested purely out of self interest not because of any particular regard for the environment," he claims. "Look at the Hilton project, only a few people had opposed it. The Maltese need egoistic motivations to be moved on environmental issues."
He insists that the country's shabbiness is a consequence of the family-first mentality, which values the house and the family territory above anything else.

"People adorn their house and take care of it but show a complete disregard for the outdoors. Public space is viewed as no-man's land," he says.

But he sees a change with young couples.

"They are more likely to open up their house to non-family members and are more aware of the ‘common' environment," he admits.

Turning to politics, Prof. Boissevain insists that political factionalism is a major problem. His studies of Malta's social life show that we have a pronounced tendency towards dualism. This is evident in the political scene with two large parties alternating power between them.

"The intensity of political bickering has changed little since 40 years ago," he says.

"In many respects this has grown more intense due to more money entering the system. Today political parties can fund their own TV and radio stations along with newspapers."
Prof. Boissevain says it is common for small scale, family-centred societies to view things in black and white, or rather, in Malta's case red and blue. He has found similar traits in Greece and Sicily.

"A country with no perception of grey areas and middle ground is doomed to antagonism. Perhaps an experiment with a different electoral system that would give space to other political parties would decrease the corrosive political factionalism. As things stand, Malta is a one-party State for five years," Prof. Boissevain stresses.

No discussion about politics is complete without mentioning the European Union. Will Malta lose its identity if it joins the EU?
His answer is a plain "no". Prof. Boissevain, who understands much Maltese, says that although regulations imposed by Brussels may appear to lead to a loss of identity and sovereignty, this is in many ways similar to the process of globalisation, which is inevitable.

"What is happening in the EU is that people are actually reacting to the changes; regions are asserting their identity more," he says. "Malta's identity, its customs and language will be strengthened within the EU."
He believes that EU membership will help the Maltese to become part of a larger whole and at the same time make us aware of our heritage.

The Dutchman and his wife have made Malta their second home. Two of their children were born in Malta and one of them also lives here. But how did Prof. Boissevain end up falling in love with this country?
"It started in 1956 when I was assigned to Malta as Chief of Mission for the American relief organisation CARE (Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere)," he explains. "The non-political group was distributing food in Malta and word reached the organisation's head office that the Labour Party was campaigning under the slogan ‘Vote for Mintoff and get CARE food'."
Prof. Boissevain's work in Malta at first did not put him in Mintoff's good books. He was given the brief to ensure that the relief programme became non-political. However, as time passed, the Dutchman came to admire Mintoff. Prof. Boissevain once even ended up being a consultant to the Labour Prime Minister.

"Mintoff's first term in office in the 1970's was brilliant," he says.

"He made people proud to be Maltese. He put this island on the map. Mintoff was a hard bargainer and clever negotiator."
Did Mintoff's clash with the Labour government of 1996-98 surprise Prof. Boissevain?
"Mintoff is a man of strong opinions and a shrewd tactician. The clash did not come as a surprise to me because he believed in what he was doing," he answers. "Mintoff is not new to controversy. In 1987 he had pushed for the Constitutional changes on majority rule, even though he was effectively campaigning against his party's interest."
Nonetheless, Prof. Boissevain is baffled by the late Mintoff years in the 1970's and the 1980's, which were characterised by political violence.

"Many ministers had become little sultans surrounded by thugs. I believe Mintoff had the power to do something about it, but he did not. This is an enigma, which I hope he will explain one day. Was he held to ransom by these thugs?" he asks.

Over a span of 40 years, Prof. Boissevain has written a number of books and papers about the Maltese way of life. His most famous book is ‘Saints and Fireworks' (1965, 1993) in which he studied the connection between village feasts and politics. Since than, has he seen any change?
"There is definitely a greater awareness of gender issues," he replies.

"Women's participation in the work force has increased and today there is more sexual freedom. The respect for the church has also changed. It is less of a political power today compared to the status it enjoyed in the 1960's."
However, Prof. Boissevain believes that the biggest change of all is increased affluence. People are consuming a lot more things than they used to. He even went on to say that Malta's standard of living in terms of luxury, in many respects, is higher than Holland's.

"The increased consumerism is a reaction to the deprivation of 40 years ago," he concludes. "This phenomenon is a way of asserting family identity and importance. Obviously, this has brought its problems with it and one major visible result is Mount Maghtab, which characterises the increased pollution."

Prof. Boissevain's eyes light up as he wanders down memory lane recalling the time he lived in Kirkop and Naxxar. Although Malta has many problems and there is much to criticise, he finds the Maltese very pleasant and parts of our countryside truly beautiful. That is why he and his wife keep returning. And most importantly, Malta presents him with an anthropological challenge - something he loves and relishes.

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Fact file
Born: England, 1928
Military service: Served with the US Army between 1946-48.

Citizenship: Holds valid United States, British and Dutch passports.

Education: Sorbonne University in Paris, Haverford College in Pennsylvania and the London School of Economics.

Languages: Speaks English, Dutch, French, Italian and also dabbles in Maltese.

Career: There are too many appointments to list but he has worked in a host of different countries including India, Malta, Libya, Sicily, Canada and the Philippines.

Remembered locally for: His book ‘Saints and Fireworks', which studied the relationship between religion and politics in Maltese village feasts.

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