Etienne Gatt recently conducted a qualitative study that investigated the personal and social factors that help individuals coming from families of low socioeconomic backgrounds achieve upward social mobility in Malta. The study was a dissertation project that Gatt conducted as part of the Master in Counselling degree at the University of Malta.
[attach id=691755 size="medium" align="right"]Etienne Gatt[/attach]
The six participants in the study coming from local families whose parents have less than five ‘O’ levels. Despite coming from backgrounds characterised by hardship the study found that this in actually helped them to become mature, dependable and hardworking individuals. The participants recognised how these positive characteristics have been invaluable in helping them to be successful in life. It was interesting to discover that such experiences are consistent with research conducted internationally.
Despite the participants coming from different age brackets, they had encountered similar difficulties. They were faced with feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, loneliness and hardship.
They also reported how such experiences forged them with an identity that has distanced them from the identities of their families of origin. When seen from a Maltese perspective, this disclosure assumes more importance given the tight-knit characteristics of local families.
Gatt said the study’s main findings show the importance of counselling as a service to assist individuals in drawing meaning out of such experiences.
“The role of counselling and the counsellor is that of providing a safe space where feelings, such as those of loneliness and inadequacy, can be safely discussed and made meaning of. This is especially the case where individuals have lesser access to networks of role models that can assist and positively influence their trajectories,” Gatt said.
“It also needs to be considered that, usually, individuals going through such experiences are of a younger age and certain families might not afford such services. Therefore, accessible counselling can significantly help individuals navigate such experiences and may contribute in ensuring more equitable forms of social justice,” he added.
A copy of this study may be found at the University of Malta library. Gatt undertook the Master in Counselling with the support of a scholarship funded by the Endeavour Scholarship Scheme.