59231 - Infancy and Family Pedagogy

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student:

• Reads the familiar phenomena in order to overcome the normality/deviance paradigm and to respect the complexity and polymorphism that distinguishes today's families;
• Analyzes the characteristic features of contemporary families (legal, cultural, social, economic changes; authors, models, theories, etc.).
• Identify new needs and new questions that arise in contemporary family contexts, in order to rethink educational theoretical and methodological issues most appropriate to support the parental role;
• Design possible educational paths to support and strengthen school-family alliance;
• Design possible educational paths to support and strengthen school-family alliance;
• analyzes the aspects of contemporary childhoods
• identifies new needs and new demands of contemporary childhoods
• Designs educational paths to ensure respect for children's rights

Course contents

The course aims to analyse and reflect on the complexity of the condition of children and families in the contemporary context and to find educational perspectives and pedagogical support.

The course is structured into two integrated modules, which address interconnected topics and objectives

Modulo 1 "Pedagogy of Childhood" (24 hours)

Professor: Silvia Demozzi

Objectives:

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Analyze the key characteristics of contemporary childhoods

• Identify the new needs and questions emerging from contemporary childhoods

• Propose educational tools and pathways to ensure the respect of children's rights, as enshrined in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
  

Contents:

• Childhoods

• From biological age to socio-cultural category

• Childhood and rights

• Adultification and the risk of the "disappearance of childhood"

• Sharenting and childhood "on display"

• Childhood, gender, and sexuality

• Childhood and the body

• Childhood and play

• Childhood and sport

• Childhood and illness

• Childhood and violence (war, poverty, abuse...)

• What kind of education for children today? What educational paths for real participation?

Modulo 2 "Pedagogy of Families" (24 hours)

Professor: Alessandra Gigli

Objectives:

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Interpret family phenomena through a lens that moves beyond the normality/deviance paradigm and values the complexity and polymorphism of today’s families

• Analyze the main features of contemporary families (legal, cultural, social, economic changes; key scholars, models, theories, etc.)

• Identify the new needs and questions arising within contemporary family contexts, in order to rethink educational, theoretical, and methodological frameworks that best support parenting

• Propose educational pathways to foster authentic educational alliances between schools/services and families

• Identify appropriate tools and training paths to value family resources and support reflective parenting within a context of constructive sociality.

Contents:

• The concept of plurality in the family dimension
• The map of families in Italy today
• Family systems within broader social and cultural processes
• Characteristics of functional families: analysis of protective and risk factors
• Educational "emergencies" in contemporary families: new scenarios of motherhood and fatherhood; normative crisis; education in the context of marital instability (separations, blended families, and single-parent households)
• Pedagogical perspectives to support family educational roles
• Family education and support for parenting
• Educational alliance scenarios: pedagogical coordinates for cooperative relationships with families

Note for students:

The course program and instructors have changed compared to previous academic years. Please note that in the "knowledge and skills to be acquired" section, some content still reflects the previous years (due to technical and bureaucratic limitations in updating the system). Therefore, students are strongly advised to refer specifically to the sections "Program and Contents", "Texts", and "Assessment and Learning Methods".

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SPECIALIZATION COURSE FOR EDUCATORS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES

Students who already hold a degree in Primary Education Sciences must follow the study program corresponding to 4 ECTS, which includes:

Specific learning objectives:
By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Analyze the key characteristics of contemporary childhoods

• Identify the new needs and questions emerging from contemporary childhoods

• Propose educational tools and pathways to ensure the respect of children's rights, as enshrined in the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

• Interpret family phenomena through a lens that moves beyond the normality/deviance paradigm and values the complexity and polymorphism of today’s families

• Analyze the main features of contemporary families (legal, cultural, social, economic changes; key scholars, models, theories, etc.)

• Identify the new needs and questions arising within contemporary family contexts, in order to rethink educational, theoretical, and methodological frameworks that best support parenting.

Exam method:

The final assessment consists of a written exam. For evaluation criteria and registration procedures, please refer to the relevant sections of the program below.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory readings (both for attending and non attending students):

PART 1 

- Demozzi S., L’infanzia “inattuale”. Perché le bambine e i bambini hanno diritto al rispetto, Ed. Junior, 2016.

- Demozzi S., La grande domanda. Quando l'infanzia incontra l'esistenza, Ed. Scholè, 2022.

PART 2

1. Gigli A., Famiglie evolute. Capire e sostenere le funzioni educative delle famiglie plurali, Ed. Junior, 2016

2. Following articles (open access,. uploaded on Virtuale):

· Formenti, L. (2009). Genitorialità (in)competente? Una rilettura pedagogica. Rivista Italiana Di Educazione Familiare, 3(1), 78–91.

Download here: https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/rief/article/view/3884/3884 o sugli spazi virtuali dell’insegnamento

· Bove, C. (2013). Accogliere i bambini e le famiglie nei servizi per l’infanzia: le ‘culture’ dell’inserimento/ ambientamento oggi. Rivista Italiana Di Educazione Familiare, 7(1), 5–17. Scaricabile su: https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/rief/article/view/3929 o sugli spazi virtuali dell’insegnamento.

· Sità C., (2017) La genitorialità intensiva e le sue implicazioni per la relazione tra genitori e professionisti. «CONSULTORI FAMILIARI OGGI» , vol. 25 , n. 2 , 2017 , pp. 45-55

Download here: https://consultorifamiliarioggi.it/wp-content/uploads /2019/05/CfO-2-2017-Sit%C3%A0.pdf o sugli spazi virtuali dell’insegnamento.

· Gigli, A. (2017). Inclusion of Homoaffective Families in Education Services and Schools in Italy: A Pedagogical Issue. [Italian Sociological Review, 7 (3), pp. 383-393

Download here: https://italiansociologicalreview.com/ojs/index.php/ISR/article/view/198 o o sugli spazi virtuali dell’insegnamento.

· Gigli A., (2023) Riflessioni sul ruolo delle madri nella determinazione e nel superamento del divario di genere nel lavoro di cura familiare: l’evoluzione si attiva dal basso, «WOMEN & EDUCATION», 2023, 2/2023, pp. 16 – 21

Download here: https://ojs.pensamultimedia.it/index.php/women_education/article/view/6734 o sugli spazi virtuali dell’insegnamento.

. On the virtual space, additional study materials (e.g., supplementary handouts) that are part of the curriculum will be uploaded.

Teaching methods

• Traditional lessons
• Cooperative learning
• Interactive methods
• Readings

Attending lessons is strongly advised in order to make the study easier and to have the opportunity to exchange thoughts and opinions among peers.

Assessment methods

Exam Format

The exam consists of a single written test covering both modules. It includes 31 questions (multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or short answer) to be completed within 35 minutes from the start of the exam.

Students must use their own device (preferably a tablet or notebook, but smartphones are also acceptable) to take the exam via the Esami on Line platform (https://eol.unibo.it/ ). Students who do not have access to a device are kindly asked to contact the professors well in advance of the exam date.

The duration of the exam is 35 minutes.

To take the exam, registration on Alma Esami (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm ) is required. Please note that registration for written exams closes one week before the exam date.

No use of books, notes, or other reference materials is allowed.

Grading and Recording

The exam result will be published on Alma Esami a few days after the exam.
Once the grades are posted, and the deadline to accept or reject the grade has passed, grades not explicitly rejected will be officially recorded, according to the rule of implied consent.

Grading criteria:
The grade is determined by the number of correct answers:

• All 31 correct answers = 30 cum laude

• 18 correct answers = 18 (minimum passing grade)

• Unanswered questions are considered incorrect (0 points)

Attending and Non-Attending Students

The course content and exam format are the same for attending and non-attending students.

Erasmus Students

The course content and exam format are the same as for all other students.
A good knowledge of the Italian language is required.

Students with Specific Learning Needs (DSA)

Students with DSA are invited to contact the dedicated office and have their tutor write to the professors, following the standard procedure and at least 15 days before the exam date, to arrange accommodations (e.g., extra time, oral exam option, or the use of concept maps).
If concept maps are requested, they must be sent to the professors at least 15 days in advance of the exam for approval.

Students with Deferred Exams

Students who included the course in their study plan in a previous academic year (e.g., 2023/24 or 2024/25) may choose to take the current program or the one from the year the course was listed in their study plan.
If choosing a previous version of the program, the professors must be informed at least 10 days before the exam date so the appropriate test can be prepared.

Important Guidelines for All Students

Please read and follow the instructions below carefully:

• It is not possible to register for the exam outside of the Alma Esami deadlines (do not email for this purpose);

• In case of multiple exam sessions (shifts), changing shifts is not allowed (do not email to request this);

• Whether the test appears visible on EOL before the exam is not indicative, all tests will become visible at the start of the exam;

• Students taking a partial exam (e.g., for 4 CFU) must notify the professors via email at least 10 days before the exam date.

Important Reminder

To streamline communication and reduce response times, students are kindly asked to contact both professors only for truly exceptional and/or important matters, or for questions not answered in the official university guides, websites, or other available resources.

 

Teaching tools

Books, videos, pictures, slides.

Students with DSA or disabilities: it is recommended that they contact the responsible University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, considering the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Demozzi

See the website of Alessandra Gigli