Introduction

The Higher Institute for Family Sciences (in short HIG, an abbreviation of its Dutch name ‘Hoger Instituut voor Gezinswetenschappen’), is a not-for-profit organization established in 1960 by the Belgian League of Families. Since 2008 we are a partner in the HUBrussel, which merges several Brussels-based colleges and a university and in BruCoVo, which merges all Brussels-based centres for adult education.

Our objectives are:
- to offer interdisciplinary training courses which investigate families and family related problems in all their aspects;
- to stimulate scientific research on family relations and social problems related to families, and to disseminate its results;
- to provide an information service to the public and to decision makers on family related topics.

The HIG’s main training course, a Bachelor course (level 6 in the European Qualifications Framework) in Family Sciences (3 years), has been on offer for 45 years, and is recognized and subsidized by the Flemish Department of Education. At present about 1.000 students attend this course.

In 1989 a course on ‘Training for Senior Citizens’ Consultants’ was established. This training course provides information regarding the problem of the ageing population and the new demands and possibilities this problem will provide to society. Since 1989 some 500 students of all ages have taken the course.

The HIG also organizes short training programmes, courses and trainings on specific topics and methods concerning family relationships, education and related subjects.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Higher Institute for Family Sciences is to disseminate and strengthen the knowledge about family, childraising and related problems in contemporary society. To reach this, we organize education and training about these matters in a pluralistic and interdisciplinary context.

We organize:
- a three-year education in family sciences;
- a two-year modular training for senior citizens’ consultants;
- short trainings for professionals in the welfare sector and in education;
- seminars and colloquia to make scientific knowledge more accessible to a large group of people.

We believe that long lasting and sustainable relationships are important for men and women. Personally and socially men and women can grow and feel comfortable in these relationships. For childraising and giving trust and comfort to children and young people durable relationships are even more important.

In order to reach these sustainable relations, they should be based on:
- the agreement of some values as there are: honesty, responsibility, care for each other and respect for personal integrity;
- real equal opportunities for men and women in society so that they both can participate in family life on an equal basis;
- the responsibility from men and women for the children.

We know many people face many obstacles and difficulties in trying to reach this ideal situation. Although we believe in sustainable relations, we respect and support the variety of different family structures. Concerned with the wellbeing of adults and children, we try to make professionals aware of the importance of family life.

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Bachelor of Family Sciences

1. Objectives

In our educational system the family, the basis of all human relationships, hardly gets any attention. Still, modern society puts a lot of pressure on family relationships. Citizens as well as professionals in social work, in education and in other areas, are confronted with problems related to disturbed family relationships, and feel the need to better understand and respond to these problems.

The training course ‘Bachelor of Family Sciences’ answers this need by examining the relationships between spouses, children and other family members, along with related issues in the social, medical, juridical and economic fields.

The training course is particularly designed for:

• Professionals and volunteers in social work. They will find here a thorough update of theory and skills, in order to support people from the family-oriented viewpoint more adequately
• Those who feel that their vocational training and occupation is too unilaterally oriented towards career making and who feel the need to pay more attention to and care more for emotional and relational problems
• Those who want, in general, to get a better understanding of the complexity, diversity and depth of human relationships
• Those who want to achieve more satisfactory relationships as a spouse or as a parent with their partner or with their children
• Parents working at home who want to situate the problems they encounter inside or outside their family in a broader context, or who have to overtake arrears caused by the period of child care and housekeeping, or who want to find a new job.

The HIG considers it its task to develop a continuing education, in which are offered, from different scientific viewpoints, elements for a thorough and differentiated understanding of family problems and relationships.

2. Why follow this training course?

According to the motivation and depending on the level of the students, the course has three objectives:

1. A second chance education: for those who could not get a diploma of higher education when they were young. The real importance of the training lies in the opportunity to link professional and life experience with renewed theoretical insights.

2. Gain a higher professional qualification:
This is especially the case for occupations in the social sector:

• in education,
• in the paramedical sector,
• in social work,
• in preventive and curative youth protection,
• in care for the disabled and the elderly,
• in the fight against poverty.

3. Personal development. The education is of great value for everyone who is, professionally or as volunteer, active in associations, adult education or politics.

3. Impact of the training on the labour market situation of the graduates

In 2004 we published the results of an investigation among the graduates:
479 graduates were submitted a series of questions by means of a questionnaire, regarding:
- change in occupational situation,
- employment opportunities,
- execution of work in a different (more qualified) way.

From those who already had a job (during the training), 75% obtained a change in their professional situation after having completed the training.

These changes concern:
- they found another type of work (44%);
- they reached more qualified execution of their work (82%);
- there was an increase of power and influence (34%).

A great deal of housewives who wanted to return to the labour market saw this wish come true. 78% found a job after graduation.

These data prove that graduates not only enjoyed the training and the personal satisfaction of studying, but also succeeded in using their newly acquired knowledge and skills on the labour market.

4. Curriculum

In the first year the foundation is laid for the subsequent years. The disciplines which give us insight in family and relationship problems are treated.
The second year studies the relation to oneself, to others and to the wider community.
The third year deals with policy aspects, relational conflicts and provision of assistance in this respect.

The students have the choice between two study areas: 'children & adolescents' and 'adults and elder persons'. In both areas attention is paid to the institutional and juridical framework of the assistance dealt with.

The interdisciplinary approach in the years of study gets more emphasis in project work groups (about 1/5 of the number of hours available).

With a view to the concrete social intercourse with others, daily life practice, professional assistance and voluntary work, some methodological subjects are inserted in the program each year. Moreover in the first year a training is organized about ‘listening’, in the second year about ‘speaking’. In the third year is dealt with the interaction between both (interpersonal process recall).

In the second year all students are assessed on their professional skills and experience; those who lack the necessary professional skills and experience, perform an extra practical training of 120 hours in a professional organization.

Important characteristics of the programme:
1. The diversity of family types is the specific angle of incidence to approach problems.
2. Methodology:
a) The subjects taught are not spread in hours per week but are offered in modules. In modules of 4 hours a subject is finished before starting with another. The advantage of this method is that the subject can be assimilated in a limited time as rehearsals at the beginning of the lesson are avoided.
b) As it is a training in the framework of social advancement, the number of contact-hours is limited. The requirements imposed to the individual students with regard to the subjects to be assimilated, should therefore not be at minimum level. On the contrary, in this type of training a lot of self-study is needed. The interest and possibilities for this self-study are stimulated, the individual student has to link the subject taught with his or her own experiences and study those aspects which are important for him/her.
3. Contents:
a) The intention is to keep up with new social interests and changes. The integration of the subject ‘children’s rights’ in the third year can serve as example. Another example is the insertion of the subject ‘ecology’ in the second year.
b) The subjects taught are more generally approached: pedagogical, interrelational as well as socio-economical problems related to the family are treated.

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Training for Senior Citizens’ Consultants

The background

Despite the fact that we live in an age that emphasizes youth and a desire to ‘get ahead’, we are confronted with movements who plead the cause of ‘senior citizens’ and call society to respect the interests of this growing population group.

Demographic development in western countries is producing two trends:
1. Life conditions are changing: the possibilities of medical care help to increase the population of very old citizens, in greater need for care and support and reception on the one hand, and on the other the wish to achieve a long and healthy old age.
2. Earlier retirement and the shift from an active professional life to a new life phase, create specific needs and expectations with regard to personal and social life.

Due to these developments society in general needs to devote increased attention and resources to this age group.

Citizens are increasingly helt responsible for their own well-being. This process is supported by the aspirations of the ‘older’ part of the population itself, which wishes to remain independent as long as possible in its own family circle and home surroundings.

The vision on senior citizens that underlies the training for senior citizen advisors is based on recognizing and exploiting the skills and abilities of the elderly.

Attention is paid to how individuals, as they grow older, apply all their different skills and possibilities to respond to the challenges they are confronted with. We want to avoid senior citizens being addressed in terms of their age or frailties.

Lifelong learning: a challenge for senior citizens as well!

In all agendas lifelong learning is portrayed as necessary for personal self-realisation of individuals and society, as well as it is and economically and socially beneficial. That this also applies to senior citizens and to the problems of this population segment is becoming ever clearer. The need for promoting such learning is becoming more and more urgent, as the numbers and social importance of senior citizens increase.

Both their needs and their capacities are evolving with social and economic developments. This requires both from senior citizens themselves and those who assist them professionally, to obtain an accurate picture of senior citizens as a distinct social segment with their specific abilities and limitations, and of the help that is available where necessary.

Structure of the training

The senior citizen consultants’ training consists of 4 modules:
o Module A: Gerontology (200 hours)
o Module B: Social and communicative skills (200 hours)
o Module C: Educational and training skills (social cultural work with seniors) (260 hours)
o Module D: Inclusive senior citizen policy (260 hours)

Senior citizens are approached in their daily life situations and as citizens with economic and cultural rights and duties. The emphasis lies on supporting the formal and informal integration of senior citizens, both of those who need assistance, and of those who are making a significant contribution to society. This support is not limited to specific situations but is a continuous, dynamic and lifelong process. The training seeks to translate supporting principles flexibly in divergent situations.

Module A is obligatory for those who have not yet acquired a basic insight into gerontology. The other modules can be taken in any order.

Half of the lessons are ex-cathedra lectures, the remaining lesson hours take the form of seminars and practical exercises.

Objectives and target groups

• Increasing the professional effectiveness of professionals and volunteers in welfare work, socio-cultural work, teaching (for example personal care teachers, training institutions) and services (both public administrations and private organizations).
• Increasing the effectiveness of senior citizens (as consultants and assistants to younger and older persons) and their ability to live independently, so that they can live as long as possible in their familiar home surroundings and participate in all social activities in the community.
• Strengthening social cohesion: younger and older people together studying the process of ageing in our society increases mutual understanding and inter-generational solidarity.
• Providing a background vision to all important players and in particular to general care providers and active volunteers in organizations.

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>> A few characteristics of the student population at the Higher Institute for Family Sciences

Short Training Programmes

The Higher Institute for Family Sciences offers graduates in social work, graduates in Family Sciences and other interested persons the opportunity to take further training in family relationships, education and related subjects. Various short-term courses provide insight into theories and methodologies that can be useful in providing support to families and primary relationships.
These courses take the form of practical training aimed at increasing professional effectiveness by exercising communication techniques and counseling and assistance methods. The format often is interactive sessions in small groups.

1. Islamic views on family relations and education

Content:
Ideas and ideals from an islamic point of view on family relations and education: what are they; how are they different from other ideological views on family relations; how do these views intervene with cultural traditions of different migrant populations?

Objectives:
With this 3-days course we want to contradict prejudices and stimulate dialogue between families of different cultural backgrounds and to increase know how and skills of professionals working with migrating families.

Programme:
Day 1 focuses on cultural identity in migration, islam as identity marker and general islamic ‘rules’ concerning family relations and education.

Day 2 deals with partner relationships, gender, sexuality.

Day 3 discusses education in migrating families: experiences, specific problems and how to deal with them.

Most lectures are given by professionals, scientists and social workers, with migrant background.

2. Self-confrontation method

In this 4-days training participants are introduced to diagnostic and process-promoting forms of counseling and assistance for front line workers in the welfare sector and in spiritual health care. This method aims, in a discussion between the help requester and the help provider, to:
• clearly delineate the problem,
• obtain insight,
• create more movement in the experiential process.

The autonomy of the subject is respected at all times. Maintaining and encouraging this autonomy is an important secondary objective of this method.
Participants receive training in discussion management using the non-directive, exploratory, Rogerian model.

3. Contextual help with an accent on reciprocal influence

This four-days training programme examines Nagy’s contextual ideas in greater depth. The basic attitude of reciprocal influence and other important concepts within contextual counseling and assistance are explained. Concrete cases presented by participants and material from the trainer are used to translate these theoretical concepts into the concrete lives of clients and the families being worked with. Depending on the participants’ specific work experiences the course handles problem areas such as counseling in cases of incest and maltreatment, accompanying reconstituted families, victim support, support in handling unprocessed grief, and other areas.

4. The rights of patients and residents in hospitals and homes for social care

Two-days course for employees of hospitals and homes providing care for elder persons, disabled persons and persons facing psychological problems.

The course focuses on legal and financial rights, especially of persons incapable to defend their own interests in these areas.

Both professionals and family members of patients and residents are welcome to attend the course. Based on their specific questions and problems the teacher will explain the legal framework concerning these topics.

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Research Projects & Debates

Next to our offer of interdisciplinary courses and short training programmes, the Higher Institute for Family Sciences conducts and stimulates scientific research on family relations and social problems related to families. We disseminate its results in publications and by organizing debates and colloquia.

Recent research projects:

• Ideology in the family (2006-2008)
  What is the meaning of ideology and religion in contemporary families (in partner relationships, in parent-child relationships and in intergenerational solidarity)? Three research groups (two in the family sciences programme and one in the training programme for Senior Citizens’ Consultants) have concluded a (research) project on these topics in June 2007.
  The results of this research will be reflected on by philosophers and social scientists and presented in a book and colloquium in the fall of 2008.
• The (Non)Sense of a Family / Does a Family (still) Make Sense? (2003-2005)
  Considering the high divorce figures the 'end of the (nuclear) family' is often proclaimed. On the other hand, more and more new types of families (living together with a 2nd or a 3rd partner - with or without children from previous relationships - same-sex relationships...) claim the rights previously preserved for 'real' families (traditional nuclear families). In this project we explored the motivation of contemporary men and women to engage in a family (of any kind) and to raise children.
  Students in family sciences participated in a research project on the quality of attachment styles of children in different types of families.
  In 2005 the project resulted in a colloquium and a book.
  In August 2006 part of the results of the research on attachment styles was presented by dr. Danny Verstraeten during the ‘Second International Congress for Psychoanalytic Family Therapy’ in Canada.
• Fathers of all kind (2000-2002)
  The aim of this project was to explore different types of fatherhood and to validate the role of fathers as educators in contemporary families. During 2000-2001 several student groups conducted research on this topic.
  In 2002 the project resulted in a colloquium and a book.

Forumdays on the occasion of the International Day of Families (15 May)
Since 1997, the HIG responds to the call of the United Nations on the occasion of the International Day of Families (15 May) to put families and family policy on the agenda, by organizing the annual 'forumday'. On this day we invite policymakers, scientific researchers and other specialists, representatives of ngo's and the welfare sector, to discuss a topic related to the topic proposed by the UN.
The contributions to these forums and a report of the debates are published in our series 'Forumdays'.

Recent forumdays focused on our proposal to introduce the 'upbringing pledge'

11 May 2006: The Upbringing Pledge as a Framework for the Parent-Child Relationship
Now that the civil marriage family in its traditional form enjoys less recognition, the pedagogical concerns that it included must be transposed in one way or another into an institution that is recognised by society. People who live together and contemplate to have and to raise children can and must be expected to explicitly and publicly commit themselves to parenthood. To this end, one could introduce the ‘upbringing pledge’...
Thus proposed educational scientist and teacher at the HIG Hans Van Crombrugge. His proposal was vividly discussed; the pro's and cons were published.
>> Read the proposal and a summary of the debate.

11 May 2007: Conference 'Shared Pedagogical Responsibility?'
The discussion on the upbringing pledge continues, with questions raised from a human rights' and children’s rights' point of view.
Organized by the Higher Institute for Family Sciences (Dr. Hans Van Crombrugge) and the Universities of Antwerp (Prof. Dr. Wouter Vandenhole) and Maastricht (Prof. Dr. Jan C.M. Willems).

19 December 2007: Debate on the practice of the upbringing pledge
How can local authorities install the upbringing pledge and what are the consequences for the family policy on a local and national level?
Politicians discussed these topics with Hans Van Crombrugge, Wouter Vandenhole, Jan C.M. Willems.

Shared Pedagogical Responsibility?
Conference book presenting the upbringing pledge
Author(s): Hans Van Crombrugge (ed.), Wouter Vandenhole (ed.), Jan Willems (ed.)

Human rights tend to focus on the relationship between individual and state: the individual is rights-holder, the state is duty-holder. Children’s rights bring a third player much more in the picture, namely parents. Although legally speaking they are not duty-holders under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, they do have a number of responsibilities under the CRC and other human rights instruments. States may have obligations to turn these parental responsibilities into national legal duties if that is needed to improve the legal and social position of children.

Child rearing may still be considered by many to be within the private domain, i.e. a matter of concern only within the relationship between children and their parents, with the exception of instances of child abuse or neglect.

In this volume, child-rearing responsibilities are examined in the light of children’s rights and (other) human rights. All contributions focus in particular on the proposal to introduce an upbringing (or parenting) pledge. The upbringing pledge contains not only a statement of lasting commitment towards the child, but also an explicit declaration of commitment to respect and promote the rights of the child both as a person and as a human being who is utterly dependent upon his or her parents for his or her wellbeing and the development of his or her personality. By means of the upbringing pledge as a child rights based social institution, the responsibilities of society and the state towards both parents and children are re-affirmed as well.

Contributions presented during the conference Shared Pedagogical Responsibility?, organized by the Higher Institute for Family Sciences, 11th May 2007.

>> Published by Intersentia, July 2008 - ISBN 978-90-5095-813-4 - Price: 29 Euro
>> Table of contents

Contact
j.willems@ir.unimaas.nl - wouter.vandenhole@ua.ac.be - hans.vancrombrugge@hig.be
Hoger Instituut voor Gezinswetenschappen: tel. +32 (2) 240 68 46 - info@hig.be

Further on the agenda:

• 13 May 2005: Youngsters in Trouble
  How can families deal with teenagers and adolescents coping with psychiatric problems?
• 14 May 2004: Evaluation of 10 Years of Family Policy in Flanders (1994-2004)
  On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Families.
• 16 May 2008: Families on the go?
  An evaluation of the regional and local family policy in Flanders (2006-2007).

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European Projects

LLP-Grundtvig Multilateral Cooperation Project:
Family Competences Portfolio
Developing an instrument for the assessment of family related skills and competences (2007-2009)

The aim of this project is to develop an instrument to assess and validate the knowledge, skills and competences men and women have obtained in family life. We believe these skills will be in great demand considering the growing need for physical, as well as social and educational care in the near future. With a shrinking labour market supply and the pressure for longer careers, it becomes very important that the qualities of currently underappreciated skills and competences men and women have obtained in family life, in their roles as educators, homemakers and care workers, can be validated.

Our goal is to use the Family Competences Portfolio in several settings:

• to coach the intake for education and training programmes;
• to grant exemption from exams and facilitate shorter schooling careers;
• to allow the validation of these skills and competences on the labour market.

The HIG coordinates the project and can count on the input of six organizations. Some of them have a very broad experience in working on international projects and/or in the assessment of prior learning (APL):

• Deutsches Jugend Institut (Duitsland)
• Institute for Creative Proceedings (Polen)
• Västra Nylands folkhögskola (Finland)
• Romanian Institute for Adult Education (IREA) (Roemenië)
• Department of Andragogy, Philosophical Faculty of Comenius University (Slowakije)
• Vilnius College of Higher Education (Litouwen)

>> Project website

Grundtvig 2-project 'Second Chance Working Winners' (2005-2007)
From August 2005 to July 2007 the HIG took part in this learning partnership. The aim was to disseminate best practices in teaching and learning and in increasing employability of learners who are (at least) forty years of age.

The HIG developed an application portfolio for the graduates of our ‘Senior Citizens' Consultancy Training’ and a general application portfolio for elder citizens (50+).

Our partners:

• Third Age Foundation (London) (coördinator)
• Komvux/Municipal Adult Education (Eskilstuna, Sweden)
• Föderverein Akademie 2.Lebenshälfte (Teltow, Germany)
• IQ-Akademie GmbH (Nagold, Germany)
• Initiative 40 (Salzburg, Austria)
• Agora (Lorient, France)

The final meeting was helt in Brussels, 29-31 May 2007.

Grundtvig 1-project 'ANT: Attracting New Target Groups in Adult Education' (2000-2001)
This project resulted in an international conference and a handbook of best practices and recommendations on how to attract new target groups. Based on this the HIG launched a campaign to attract more men to its Family Sciences Training Programme.

Our partners were:

• Turun suomenkielinen työväenopisto (Centre for adult education in Turku, Finland)
• Department of Andragogy, Philosophical Faculty of Comenius University (Slovakia)
• Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (City Council of Lisbon, Portugal)

1996-1998: the project 'Empowerment of older people', coordinated by the Community Development Centre in Coventry (England).

1993-1996: third European network 'Solidarity between generations through training and education'.

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