Learning objectives
The course aims to favour:
• The acquisition of the ability to read the conflict dynamics and to define possible intervention strategies.
• The acquisition of knowledge and understanding related to the psychological components that derive from gender disparity.
• The acquisition of knowledge and understanding related to the psychological consequences of repeated abuse (traumatic links)
• Acquisition of the ability to recognize domestic violence, to welcome and support victims and to plan effective interventions aimed at their protection and the re-establishment of an autonomous and dignified existential condition.
• The ability to define a management project taking into account the needs and rights of the recipients and the resources available both "in" people and in the context.
• The acquisition of the ability to apply knowledge, understanding and ability to tackle problems to new or unfamiliar issues, considering diversified intervention contexts (public / private / associations, school / health services, etc.).
• The acquisition of the ability to reflect on social and ethical responsibilities related to the application of knowledge and judgments;
• The acquisition of the ability to recognize and manage complexity knowing how to complete limited or incomplete information starting from the resources offered by the context and the interlocutors present.
• The acquisition of the ability to communicate the conclusions, as well as the knowledge and rationale underlying them to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors, in a clear and unambiguous manner
Prerequisites
Knowledge of social psychology, psychology of family dynamics and child protection
Course unit content
- The first part of the course addresses the issue of conflict within the family by focusing on conflict in the couple.
The couple is therefore the relational context from which the analysis of conflict dynamics and possible conflict management methodologies is developed.
- The second part of the course deals with the theme of violence as an extreme form of expression of conflict and oppression. Violence will be considered here as gender-based violence and will therefore lead us to limit cases to heterosexual couples.
Representing a paradigmatic example of the hierarchical relationship between social groups, gender difference will be studied as an expression of value structures, systems of meanings, economic and power relations.
The role and skills that the professional figure of the psychologist can assume in welcoming and accompanying women who are victims of domestic violence or who suffer from serious family problems will be outlined and discussed. The intervention strategies will concern both direct support to the victim and relations with the various institutional interlocutors who necessarily intervene in the protection process.
Full programme
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Bibliography
1) Mazzei D., Neri V. (2017). La mediazione familiare. Il modello simbolico trigenerazionale. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore
2) [Until session January-February 2022] Reale E. (2011). Maltrattamento e violenza sulle donne. Vol. II. Criteri, metodi e strumenti per l’intervento clinico. Milano: Franco Angeli.
2) [From June 2022] Monacelli N. (2022). Donne e madri vittime di violenza. Dalla retorica dell’aiuto alla responsabilità dell’intervento. Bergamo: Edizioni Junior
3) Malaguti E. (2005). Educarsi alla resilienza. Trento: Erickson
4) Fleckinger A (2020). The Dynamics of Secondary Victimization: When Social Workers Blame Mothers. Research on Social Work Practice, XX(X),1-9
5) Lapierre S. (2010).Striving to be ‘Good’ Mothers: Abused Women’s Experiences of Mothering. Child Abuse Review Vol. 19: 342–357
Teaching methods
The course includes (when delivered in face-to-face mode) lectures, group work, video analysis and simulations, and interventions by professionals.
Assessment methods and criteria
The student can choose between two exam methods:
1) an oral interview that concerns the compulsory bibliography and the contents of the lessons. The oral exam is aimed at assessing the autonomy of judgement, the critical sense and the ability to address the issues faced during the course.
OR
2) The student can agree with the teacher a topic related to one of those dealt with during the course and then prepare a scientific communication of 10 min on the basis of two scientific articles. However, this modality requires knowledge of the theoretical contents presented during the course.
The final grade of the exam is given by the sum of three partial votes.
1) theoretical knowledge (10/10)
2) methodological skills in defining the needs and hypotheses of intervention (10/10)
3) ability to evaluate one's role and its impact in the intervention process. (10/10)
Other information
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