Harmonious Family Relationships
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COMPARATIVE STUDY September 2016 – April 2017 CENTRUL DEINVESTIGA SOCIOPOLIS The study “Changes caused by the optional course “Harmonious family relationships”, at the level of perceptions, stereotypes and attitudes” was conducted by the Center for Investigations and Consultation “SocioPolis”, at the request of the International Center for Protection and Promotion of Women’s Rights “La Strada”, within the project “Preventing gender violence among youth through a new school course “Harmonious family relationships”, with the financial was supported by the South African Medical Research Council through the Sexual Violence Research Initiative. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the either of the SAMRC. Coordonator: Daniela MISAIL-NICHITIN Author: Diana CHEIANU-ANDREI Editor: Diana SENIC Copyright: International Center ”La Strada” Center for Investigations and Consultancy “SocioPolis” Chisinau, MD-2012 Chişinău, MD-2064 P. O. Box 259 39/2, Ion Creanga Str, Republic of Moldova Republic of Moldova Tel.: + 373 22 234 906 Tel.: + 373 22 582 983 Fax: +373 22 234 907 Fax: + 373 22 582 983 www.lastrada.md e-mail: [email protected] www.sociopolis.md TABLE OF CONTENTS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 50 2.4. Perceptions of and attitudes 4 towards family responsibilities LIST OF TABLES 51 2.5. Knowledge about domestic violence 13 and institutions that provide assistance LIST OF CHARTS III. THE OPTIONAL COURSE „HAR- 15 62 MONIOUS FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS”. EXPECTATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 17 INTRODUCTION 62 3.1. Appreciation of the optional course RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 67 3.2. The portrait of the teacher for the optional course “Harmonious family relationships” I. STARTING COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS 24 68 3.3. Challenges of the optional course 24 1.1. Perceptions of and attitudes 72 3.4. Examples of best practices in towards premarital relationships teaching the course from the gender perspective 75 3.5. Interaction of students with their parents 27 1.2. Perception of abusive relations at the premarital phase 77 3.6. Modifications proposed by teachers and students to improve the optional course 31 1.3. Risk behaviors at the premarital phase FINDINGS REGARDING THE II. HARMONIOUS FAMILY 79 OPTIONAL COURSE “HARMONIOUS 37 FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS” 37 2.1. The values of a happy family RECOMMENDATIONS 43 2.2. Gender stereotypes related 86 to family life ANNEXES 47 2.3. Perceptions of the woman’s and 88 man’s role in the family EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A family is an interface betweenE the individual and the The goal of the study was to determine the im- society, as it supports the integration of its members pact of the optional course “Harmonious family into society, and at the same time, protects them from relationships” on children and the teaching staff, the stressful social life factors. The family develops the and to identify the possibilities to improve some autonomous skills of its members and contributes to aspects of the optional course. As a result, we the education and healthy growth of new generations. studied the opinions of students who attended The recent socio-economic crises, the changes in the the optional course (main sample), of students family system and the family relations jeopardizes who didn’t attend the course (control sample) and the fulfillment of duties in a family and causes deep of teaching staff from those 22 institutions, at consequences to its members (biologic, psychological the beginning of the academic year (August-Sep- and social) both in present, as well as in future. In such tember 2016 – Baseline research) and at the end conditions, teenagers need to be informed and guided (April-May 2017 – Endline research). The specific in developing their skills of non-violent life, in creating objectives of both research studies targeted the harmonious families, based on gender equality. The evaluation of the changes produced in: (i) percep- adolescence period is the most indicated for develop- tions and attitudes towards premarital relations, ing skills in building interpersonal relations. including abusive relations at the premarital phase; (ii) informing about the risk behaviors at The need of some educational programs for young the premarital phase; (iii) attitudes towards the generations, oriented towards creation of harmo- values of a happy family; (iv) knowledge of gender nious and sustainable families, with no violence, stereotypes in the family; (v) perceptions and atti- where problems would be discussed, analyzed and tudes towards the role of women and men in the solved in a friendly manner, led to the development family and family responsibilities; (vi) informing of the curriculum for the optional course ”Harmoni- about domestic violence and the institutions what ous family relationships” for students in 10th – 12th provide assistance, (vii) the expectations of youth grade, by the International Center for Protection and from the optional course “Harmonious family re- Promotion of Women’s Rights ”La Strada”. During lationships”; (viii) the need for the optional course, the academic year 2016-2017, the optional course according to parents’ opinion; (ix) the usefulness was proposed to students from 22 educational in- of the course “Harmonious family relationships”, stitutions from the Republic of Moldova. in the opinion of youth and teachers. 4 / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In order to achieve the goal and the objectives of because it brings into discussion problems the research, a complex methodological approach that families in modern society are facing. was applied, focused on measuring the knowledge, Thus, 48,6% of students attending the course perceptions and attitudes of students towards mentioned that it is very useful, 39,1% said it couple relationships, at the initial and final phases is useful, only 11,4% stated it is not that use- of the project, which allow for data triangulation1. ful, and 0,9% - absolutely not useful. The top Both quantitative (sociological survey based on a of the most useful topics discussed during questionnaire) and qualitative (focus group discus- the course (according to students’ opinion) in- sions) methods were used. At the Baseline phase, cludes: the violence (including manipulation at the goal was to assess the knowledge, perceptions the premarital stage, rape) – 40,7%, the cou- and attitudes of students and teaching staff (23 ple, the family: legal aspects – 40,2%, the sub- teachers), and at the Endline phase the aim was tleties of falling in love, and of love – 35,5%. to measure the changes caused by the course “Harmonious family relationships”, at the level of • According to the opinion of the majority of stu- knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of students dents and teaching staff who taught the les- and teachers, as well as the difficulties during the sons, the optional course “Harmonious family course implementation. 440 students participated relationships” should become mandatory for at both research phases: 220 students as the main high school students, because of the challeng- sample and 220 students as a control sample. 288 es in the modern Moldovan society: high num- parents of children who had attended the optional ber of divorces, absence of one/both parents course participated in the Endline research. due to migration, lack of positive family models in many modern families etc. Need for and usefulness of the optional course • A special role in the student’s learning process • The optional course “Harmonious family re- has the teacher, as a source of knowledge, as a lationships” is a source of information for the model of values, as an implementer of interac- teenagers from 10th – 12th grade, but also tive methods, as availability of communication a course for meditation and assessment of and interaction. Students mentioned that it is knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and stere- very important for the teacher who teaches otypes, a laboratory where students acquire the course to be “understanding”, “calm”, “bal- new competences in assertive communica- anced”, “to know the psychology of children”, tion, in managing family conflicts, in develop- “to respect gender equality”, “to do his/her ing sustainable relationships and harmonious job with passion”, “a bit severe”, an open per- future families. son who would get along with all the students in class. Other teacher’s mandatory features • Students stated that the optional course is mentioned by students are: accepting diversity “useful”, “a lesson of life for family” with mul- of opinions, creating a learning-friendly envi- tiple effects in future – “it teaches us how to ronment, using different interactive teaching behave in our family, how to have a harmoni- methods, finding the right arguments to ex- ous family”, “how to be equal in rights”, “how plain concrete situations etc. to get over aggressive relationships... how to stop such a relationship”. The teaching staff • The main challenges faced by the teaching mentioned that the optional course “Harmoni- staff while teaching the course include: insuf- ous family relationships” is “welcomed”, “use- ficient time, lack of informational support for ful”, “a spelling book of family life”, “a guide”, students (manuals), insufficient audio-visual 1. A validation technique combining several data collection methods for diminishing the inherent distortions for each of them. Triangulation methods allows for verifying the veracity and stability of results. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / 5 materials, too many individual tasks in the movie “Colors”