Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PSY2612

 
TITLE Sexuality and the Family

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL Not Applicable

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Psychology

 
DESCRIPTION Pre-requisite:
PSY 2609

This study unit takes two areas of human experience and explores them in detail. It offers an opportunity to examine the psychological, social and cultural, and physical factors that affect human sexuality, and explores these though various theoretical approaches, taking a mostly developmental approach. The aims of the first part of the course are to introduce the student to the psychological dimensions of human sexuality, to examine the place sexuality plays in human development, and to introduce the student to the different historical and cross cultural perspectives.

In its second part, the study unit also offers the student the opportunity to examine the family. What is a family and how may we best describe Maltese families today? What are the power and gender issues at play in the family? The family life cycle will also be presented with a focus on the developmental issues at play in each of the stages. The struggle for creating a balance between work and home will also be discussed with a major focus on the ethics of care. Love and sex in marriage as well as conflict and violence in the family will also be treated.
Risk and Resilience after divorce and separation will be discussed. By way of conclusion the process by which diverse families grow, adapt, and mobilize resources for coping will be highlighted.

Required Text:
Mcanlty, R.D., and Burnette, M.M. (2003). Exploring human sexuality, making; healthy decisions. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Walsh, Froma (ed.) (2003). (3rd ed) Normal family processes.
New York/London The Guilford Press .

Reading List:Part 1 (Sexuality)
Allegies, A.R. and Allegies, E.R. (1995). Sexual interactions. (4th Ed.)
Toronto: Heath
Bancroft, J. (1989). Human sexuality and its problems. ( 2nd Ed.)
NY: Churchill Livingstone
Ellis, H.H. (1959). The psychology of sex.
London: Pan Books
Kaplan, H.S. (1979). Disorders of sexual desire.
New York: Brunner/Mazel
King, B. M., Camp, C. J., & Downey, A. M. (1991). Human sexuality today. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
Maccoby, E.E. & Jacklin, C.N.(1974). The psychology of sex differences. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press
Masters, W, Johnson, V. & Kolodny, R. (1982). Human sexuality.
Boston ; Little, Brown.
Ramer, L.V.(1973). Your sexual bill of rights: an analysis of the harmful effects of sexual prohibitions. N.Y: Expositions Press,.
Richards, A. (ed) (1977). On sexuality. three essays on the theory of sexuality. S. Freud. Penguin Books.
Scarff, D.E. (1982). The sexual relationship; an object relations view of sex and the family. London: Tavistock/Routledge
Strong, B., Devault, C. & Werner Sayad B.(1996). Core concepts in sexuality. London: Mayfield.
Walum, L. R. (1977). The dymamics of sex and gender: a sociological perspective. Chicago: Rand McNally Coll.
Weinstein, E. & Rosen, E. (1988). Sexuality counselling : issues and implications.
Weeks, J. (1981). Sex, politics and society: the regulation of sexuality since 1880 London: Longman.
Yates, I. (1978). Sex without shame: encouraging the child's healthy sexual development. New York: William Morrow.

Part 2 (Family)
Abela, A (1998). Marital conflict in Malta.
Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Birkbeck College, University of London
Abela, A., Debono, M., Farrugia, R., Sant, S. and Vella, A., (2004). Helping families to balance work with home: proposals for policy. Malta: National Family Commission
Abela, A., Frosh, S., Dowling, E., (2005). Uncovering beliefs embedded in the culture and its implications for practice: the case of Maltese married couples. Journal of family therapy 27: 3-23
Abela, A. M., (2000). Values of Women and Men in the Maltese Islands: a comparative European Perspective Transmitting Values in European Malta. Ministry of Social Policy
Borg, F.M. (1999). Hard choices: the experiences of first-time motherhood for maltese carreer women. Unpublished B.Psy (Hons) Dissertation. University of Malta
Cachia, P. (1996). Marital adjustment in the first years of marriage. Unpublished B.Psy (Hons) Dissertation. University of Malta
Dunn, J. Deater-Deckard, K. Pickering, K, O'Connor, T.G & Golding, J.(1998). Children's adjustment and pro-social Behaviour in step-,single-parent, and non-stepfamily settings: Findings from a community study. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry. 39, 1083 - 1095
Scicluna Calleja, S. (1992). Love relationships over time.
Unpublished doctoral thesis University of British Columbia
Tabone, C. (1991). The secularization of the family in changing Malta.
Malta: Dominican Publication.
Tabone, C. (1995). Maltese families in transition: a sociological investigation. Malta: Dominican Publication


 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Standard Study-Unit

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Module Result Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Angela Abela
Maryann Borg Cunen

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit