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people
Interview
with Jeremy Boissevain
All in the name of the family
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.
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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