Communication with Children, Youths and Adults in Difficult Life Situations

- focus on resource versus problem in communication and cooperation with children, adolescents and parents in demanding life situations
- the importance of context, relationship and cultural meaning in communication
- the conversation's possibilities to promote health, development and democratic practice
- the participant's communication resources and taboos in interaction
- conversation methods, pedagogic approaches and tools
- cooperation one-to-one, and in groups with private and public actors

Knowledge about:
- different perspectives on communication and cooperation with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations
- the importance of context, relations and culture in communication with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations
- the conversation's possibilities to promote health, development and democratic practice
- challenges and taboos in communication with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations
- conversation methods, pedagogic approaches and support tools in communication with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations

Skills:
- can analyze and critically reflect about what contexts, relations and cultures meanings for communication
- can analyze different communication settings and discuss and justify choice of communication strategy
- can identify own communication resources and taboos that are relevant for communication with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations

General competence:
- have awareness about the meaning of recognition and respectful communication in interaction with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations
- have understanding that communication with children, adolescents and parents in difficult life situations requires knowledge and competence
- understand the importance of the child's age, family culture, situation and the conversations purpose in relation to different communication settings

Lectures, skills training with facilitation. There will be permanent groups working together throughout the course. Time between lecture weeks will be used for self-studies, requirements and essay. 15 credits is about 400 work hours (included lectures, guidance, group work and self-studies). Syllabus about 1000 pages.