A comparative analysis of the European and Maltese Values Surveys (1980-95) examines citizenship in Euro-Mediterranean Malta. The development of citizenship over the past decade is assessed in terms of changes in the work ethic, equal work opportunities, participation in voluntary work, political activity, care for people in need and support for social movements.
The general trend in Malta is towards enterprise, decentralisation, lesser government intervention and greater participation in management and in economic returns from work. Over the past decade there has not been any significant shift from an instrumental to a communicative work ethic, nor any noticeable support, relative to the situation in Europe for equal work opportunities for women, people of other nationalities or returned emigrants. There has been a slight increase of membership in voluntary organisations but unpaid voluntary work has remained stable. Just as their European counterparts Maltese voluntary workers are positively oriented towards the political process.
The Maltese are more inclined than other Europeans to engage in inter-personal care, but they assume less responsibility, are less self-confident and are not very successful in getting what they want. They have great trust in social welfare institutions, but show less confidence in those institutions that wield political power. Unlike the average in Europe, the majority of Maltese respondents think that people are in need because of laziness or lack of will power, and only secondarily because of injustice in society.
In the new social context of Euro-Mediterranean Malta, social policy needs to extend citizenship to groups that risk social exclusion, and to set up, re-organise and maintain those services that promote participation in the individualised care of its citizens.