Zerafa' and its controversy : a qualitative study

Abstract

Individuals react to things which happen to them and in their social environment, and that reaction is the by-product of living and being socialized in that particular society. Social representation explores people's mentalities, which aids them to make sense of their surroundings; make the unfamiliar familiar; and then act accordingly. My qualitative study aims at investigating the nature of controversy related mainly to sexual behaviour, which the short story Zerafa, written by Immanuel and published in 2003, in the Maltese language stirred in Maltese society. Zerafa was subject to censorship and controversy. I would like to explore the social controversies which set in motion processes of social representation, as all societies; including our own Maltese society; seek to make sense of what lies outside the taken for granted. This short story is going to be analysed through Discourse Analysis in order to be able to extract relevant themes which have been embedded in how this piece of literature has been moulded and set. I want to study the discourse of Zerafa to better understand what it was that stirred public opinion. Two separate focus groups of two different groups of people will then be conducted to further go into depth on how Zerafa and its elements affect individuals and why. This will then be analysed through Thematic Network Analysis to elicit the salient themes.