Romantic relationship; the transition into parenthood; the family life cycle; families; parenthood and sexuality; methods of observation and evaluation of adult-child interaction; risk factors and pathologies of parenting; Interventions in support of parenting. Specific attention will be dedicated to biological factors of parenting, to different relationships in which parenting is expressed (family, adoption, foster care, teacher-children relationship etc.).
Simonelli A. (a cura di)(2014). La funzione genitoriale. Sviluppo e psicopatologia. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.
Swain, J.E., Lorberbaum, J.P., Kose, S., & Strathearn, L. (2007). Brain basis of early parent–infant interactions: psychology, physiology, and in vivo functional neuroimaging studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48:3/4, 262–287. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01731.x
Learning Objectives
Knowledge and understanding:
The course aims to promote knowledge and reflection on transition into parenthood and on parenting, on the risk factors that can influence its development and pathology, using a systemic and multifactorial approach. The course focuses on biological factors of parenting and of mother-infant attachment. The course helps to know methods of intervention and of assessing the quality of parenting.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
The course will provide the fundamental skills to detect the main risk and protection factors that can influence parenting.
The course will provide exercises in the class about cases study of difficulties in parenting.
The course will benefit from the collaboration of practitioners on supporting families and couples.
Making judgements:
The course will encourage a critical and involved attitude during group activities, seminars and lessons.
Communication skills:
The course will provide the knowledge for using a correct vocabulary and for express their point of view.
Learning skills:
The course will provide skills required for ongoing learning.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on developmental psychology.
Teaching Methods
Knowledge and understanding:
Lectures, seminars (at least 30% course's hours) in collaboration with experts, small groups’ or individual studies/research on some course's issues and presentation to class (4 hours).
Applying knowledge and understanding.
During the course 2 exercises (4 hours) on problematic cases on which to apply knowledge, with discussion in the classroom.
Making judgements:
Group discussions and individual or group’s presentation to class on specific course’s contents.
Communication skills:
Presenting in class small groups’ or individual work studies in an oral and written form by Power Point. Use of a correct vocabulary referring to the studied topics.
Learning skills:
This competence will be promoted through individual or group study activities.
Further information
Couse program, the time-table of course activities, suggested readings, learning objective, teaching methods, type of assessment will be presented at the beginning of the course. All students are invited to be present at the beginning of the course, even those who cannot attend the course o can do it but only rarely.
In addition to the slide presented during classes, the time-table of course activities, also Syllabus will be put online on the e-learning site.
Type of Assessment
Knowledge and understanding:
Written examination of the theoretical and applied knowledge of the course with 15 multiple choice questions and 2 open-ended questions. Oral exam for students who got a sufficient evaluation in the written examination. All students (attending and non-attending) have the opportunity to perform intermediate formative evaluation activities that may be part of the final evaluation. Moreover, all students (attending and non-attending) are invited to attend exercises (4 hours) on case study.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
In one of the two open-ended questions of the written examination, a problematic situation regarding parenting will be presented and the student will be asked to consider the elements of knowledge and to motivate the choice of the elements to be investigated and by which methods to do it.
The other open-ended questions of the written examination will be on the issues of the course.
Small individual or groups’ studies/research on some course's issues and presentation to class will be suggested: it will be voluntary and evaluated. Students must apply within the fourth lesson. The students' personal exposition will be evaluated in regard to: expository clarity, expository complexity,
capacity of expressing point of view of the Authors and a personal point of view, respecting scheduled times. The positive evaluation of the activities will result in the addition of up to two points to the final evaluation for each student.
Making judgements:
Expressing personal point of view in the two open-ended questions and arguing it in oral test will be evaluated.
Communication skills
Express and argue personal point of view using a correct vocabulary.
Learning skills:
Written and oral tests. Study/research task carried-out in autonomy or small groups.
Course program
The course focuses on the quality of parent-child relationship and parenting, referring to the developmental and psychopathological processes that are relevant and the different relationships in which parenting is expressed. Specific attention will be dedicated to transition into parenthood, biological factors of parenting, to different relationships in which parenting is expressed (family, adoption, foster care, teacher-children relationship etc.).
Main topics will be: romantic relationship; the quality of romantic relationship; the transition into parenthood; the family life cycle; the families; maternal and paternal role; parenthood and sexuality; assessment of family functioning according to the systemic-relational approach; methods of observation and evaluation of adult-child interaction; risk factors and pathologies of parenting; Interventions in support of parenting.