CO518 -- 轉變中的家庭：離婚、單親與再婚家庭 -- 劉佩婷博士

INTRODUCTION

The value, concept and structure of today’s families are facing various challenges.  This course is designed to increase the understanding of the issues and dynamics of families in transition - whether intact, going through separation and divorce or death, single parenting, or step-families. Major characteristics and issues of separation, divorce, remarriage and single parenting, and their significance to the marriage and family counseling process will be discussed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

  • Understand the issues and dynamics of families in transition – the emotional process of moving from being intact to going through separation and divorce.
  • Understand the impact of divorce on children, adolescents and adult children, from both clinical and biblical perspectives.
  • Have a basic understanding of the various forms of family structure – two-parent families, single-parent family and blended family and their significance to the marriage and family counseling process.
  • Understand the complexities and challenges of parenting in single parent and blended families.

CLASS SCHEDULE

1. Introduction and Overview; Disrupted Family Life Cycle
2. The Process of separation and divorce - the related risk and protective factors of divorce; the emotional stages of divorce)
3. The effects of divorce on children, adolescents and adult children - parental divorce and the mental health of children; parental divorce and the development of children's romantic relationships.
 4. Counseling families after divorce. 
 5. Understanding single-parent families 
 6.  Understanding blended families 1 - marital qualities in remarriage. 
 7.  Understanding blended families 2 - Step-parenting  in blended families.
 8.  Understanding blended families 3 - Growing up in a blended family. 
 9. Reflection: a wounded family relationship 
 10. Conclusion 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:

No prescribed textbook is required for this course.  Instead a number of essential reading materials will be provided for each student, including articles, extracts from books and journal papers.  Students are required to download from e campus and read ALL of them. They are important sources of reference for your assignments.

ASSESSMENT

  • Reading and Reflection (about 3 000 words, 30%) 
  • Interview and Reflection (about 5 000 words, 70%)


REFERENCES

陳敏甄著. (2011)。【單飛媽咪】。香港：天行者出版有限公司。

黃維仁著. (2012) 。【窗外依然有藍天: 婚變的解析與重建】。臺灣：財團法人愛家文化.

Baker, A. J. L. & Fine, P. R. (2014). Surviving Parental Alienation: A Journey of Hope and Healing. Rowman & Littlefield.

Carter, E., & McGoldrick, M., eds. (1999).The expanded family life cycle: A framework for family therapy, 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

A full list of references will be provided in class.