.
Family Mediation
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:4.00
Study Course Accepted:08.11.2021 16:12:18
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | LUSDK_026 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 2.00 | ECTS: | 3.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Psychology; Social Psychology | Target Audience: | Social Welfare and Social Work | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Ulla Zumente-Steele | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Department of Welfare and Social Work | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Riga, 26a Anninmuizas boulevard, socdk rsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67061575 | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 4 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 8 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 8 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 16 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 24 | ||||||||
| Part-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 4 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 8 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 8 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 16 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 24 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Social psychology, communication psychology, mediation: theory and practice. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To provide knowledge of family mediation in the social and legal context and its development trends in Latvia and globally, to form understanding of the appropriateness of mediation in family conflicts and risk assessment, to promote the protection of children’s interests in mediation, to expand knowledge of international family mediation, to improve professional competence and interaction skills in the integration of mediation into social work. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Methods of mediation, counselling and negotiation. Family mediation in the social and legal context. Family mediation development trends in Latvia and abroad. Organisation of the family mediation service and standards of practice. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Description of family conflicts. Family life cycle and mediation opportunities. Dynamics of the divorce process, its impact on mediation. Management of the family mediation process. Negotiation and communication techniques. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Issues to be addressed in family mediation. Systemic analysis of the case (using Eco genogram, conflict analysis table and other tools). Motivation, interests, needs, resources of participants. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Role play of the family mediation process. Self-reflexion and group negotiation. Field trip to the Mediation Council and the mediators’ place of practice. | Classes | 2.00 | study trip | |||||
| 5 | Evaluating the appropriateness of the family mediation process. Assessment of the risks of violence, aspects of the balance of power. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Interests of the child in mediation. Development of a cooperation plan for parents in mediation. Participation of support persons in family mediation. Self-reflexion and group negotiation. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Models of international family mediation. Legal aspects of cross-border family mediation and specificities of the process. Intercultural aspects of mediation. Protecting children’s rights in cross-border family mediation. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Ethical competence of the mediator in family mediation. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Topic Layout (Part-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Methods of mediation, counselling and negotiation. Family mediation in the social and legal context. Family mediation development trends in Latvia and abroad. Organisation of the family mediation service and standards of practice. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Description of family conflicts. Family life cycle and mediation opportunities. Dynamics of the divorce process, its impact on mediation. Management of the family mediation process. Negotiation and communication techniques. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Issues to be addressed in family mediation. Systemic analysis of the case (using Eco genogram, conflict analysis table and other tools). Motivation, interests, needs, resources of participants. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Role play of the family mediation process. Self-reflexion and group negotiation. Field trip to the Mediation Council and the mediators’ place of practice. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Evaluating the appropriateness of the family mediation process. Assessment of the risks of violence, aspects of the balance of power. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Interests of the child in mediation. Development of a cooperation plan for parents in mediation. Participation of support persons in family mediation. Self-reflexion and group negotiation. | Classes | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Models of international family mediation. Legal aspects of cross-border family mediation and specificities of the process. Intercultural aspects of mediation. Protecting children’s rights in cross-border family mediation. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Ethical competence of the mediator in family mediation. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | Studies of literature, participation in lectures, classes and the field trip, participation in group tasks and role play of mediation cases, self-reflection on experience, case analysis. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | Attendance of lectures and active participation in practical classes (50%). Examination (50%). | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | The student will be able to understand the place of family mediation in the social and legal context, know its development trends in Latvia and globally, gain understanding of the appropriateness of mediation in family conflicts and potential risk assessment, know the aspects of the protection of children’s interests in mediation, able to characterise international family mediation and recognise the possibilities of integration of mediation into social work. | ||||||||
| Skills: | The student will be able to demonstrate professional skills in the analysis of social problems and use mediation, counselling and negotiation strategies, able to evaluate the appropriateness of mediation and to practically integrate mediation into social work with families. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | The student will be able to critically evaluate and take reasoned decisions on the use of the mediation approach in social work with clients in family conflict situations, able to integrate and use the acquired knowledge and skills to address social problems. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Strasser, Freddie. Mediation: a psychological insight into conflict resolution. 2015 | ||||||||
| 2 | Zumente-Steele, U. ‘Mediation in Latvia – An Overview of Practice 2004-2014’. Chapter in Diedrich F.(ed.) The Status Quo of Mediation in Europe and Overseas. Options for Countries in Transition. Verlag Dr.Kovač, Hamburg, 2014. | ||||||||
| 3 | Bolis, J., Zīle, G. S. Mediācija un sarunas. 2015 | ||||||||
| 4 | Zīle. G., S. Mediācija: jēdzieni, testi, lomu spēles. 2018 | ||||||||
| 5 | Resolving Family Conflicts. A Guide to International Family Mediation. International Social Service. 2014 http://www.iss-ssi.org/images/MFI/en/brochureENplanches.pdf | ||||||||
| 6 | Kruk, E. Equal Parenting Presumption: Social Justice in the Legal Determination of Parenting after Divorce. MQUP, 2013. | ||||||||
| 7 | Paul, C. C. and Kiesewetter, S. Cross-Border Family Mediation: International Parental Child Abduction, Custody and Access Cases. Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt. 2011 | ||||||||
| 8 | Labas prakses rokasgrāmata saskaņā ar 1980.gada 25.oktobra Hāgas konvenciju par starptautiskās bērnu nolaupīšanas civiltiesiskajiem aspektiem. Mediācija. Hāgas starptautisko privāttiesību konference, 2012 | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Bowen, D., A Critique of Private Sessions in Family Mediation. SAGE Open, January-March 2013, pp.1-7. | ||||||||
| 2 | ‘Divorce and Other Family Mediation’, Chapter in “Brown & Marriott's ADR Principles and Practice”. Sweet & Maxwell, 2019 | ||||||||
| 3 | Buck, T. An Evaluation of The Long-term Effectiveness of Mediation in Cases of International Parental Child Abduction. International Child Abduction Centre, 2012 www.reunite.org. | ||||||||
| 4 | Cleak, H. et al. Screening for Partner Violence Among Family Mediation Clients: Differentiating Types of Abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, I-29. SAGE, 2015, pp.1-29. | ||||||||
| 5 | Paul, C. C., Walker, J. An International Mediation: From Child Abduction to Property Distribution. American Journal of Family Law. Aspen Publishers. Vol.23, 3, Fall 2009, pp.167-173. | ||||||||
| 6 | Ģimenes mediācijas prakses, sertifikācijas un mācību standarti: http://fmc.ca/sites/default/files/sites/all/themes/fmc/imag… | ||||||||
| 7 | Roberts, M. Mediation in Family Disputes. Ashgate. 2008 | ||||||||
