https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/323 2026-10-14T10:06:10Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149700 Title: Ways of supporting coparenting in child and family services : discourses of involvement, capacity building and reconciliation Authors: Kekkonen, Marjatta; Abela, Angela; Böök, Marja-Leena; Malinen, Kaisa; Moilanen, Johanna; Rönkä, Anna K. Abstract: In the research of parenting and family relations, there has been a visible shift from focusing on dyadic family relations—like parent–child—to triadic ones, such as coparenting. Likewise, in the family support research, knowledge about supporting coparenting of all parents has been called for. In this study, we were interested in what kind of discourses professionals construct to support parents to coparent, especially in the early phases of parenthood. The context of the study was preventive multiprofessional Finnish family centers. The data was collected in five focus group interviews from professionals (n = 21) working in health, social, child welfare and early childhood education and care services. Interviews were audio- taped, transcribed verbatim and pseudonymized. By identifying professional positions and two- fold agencies of parents, we could find three distinctive professional ways of supporting coparenting: discourse of coparenting involvement, discourse of coparenting capacity building, and discourse around coparenting reconciliation. In each discourse, the professionals used varying discursive strategies to assess and promote coparenting in the family system. Agency of father was emphasized in all discourses, but rights of the child were discussed mainly around reconciliation of coparenting. Results are discussed in the light of existing research on coparenting support. In practical implications for child and family services, we suggest that issues of coparenting are brought up to discussion actively by professionals, who can accordingly provide both universal and targeted support for families. The study is part of the research project Learning to coparent: A longitudinal, cross- national study on construction of coparenting in transition to parenthood (CopaGloba). 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147034 Title: Vestiges : a study in ecological identity Abstract: Silvio John Camilleri has unveiled his fifth solo show, Vestiges, at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat. In Vestiges, Camilleri departs from the dominant focus on the urban landscape evident in his last exhibition to explore instead the thesis of ‘ecological identity’, a term coined by Mitchell Thomashow to refer to how persons perceive themselves in reference to nature. In the artist’s own words, “This series represents a kind of shift for me – from depictions of external spaces to something more internal and symbolic.” This shift could have been inspired by the passing of close relatives which sensitized him to the powerful metaphor offered by nature’s cycles for the grieving process. The collection of 32 vibrant paintings has six main strands of works related to the theme of ecological identity, particularly to the concept of totemism: Totems, Totemantics, Rhythmic Pulsations, The Horizon We Inherited, Kindred, and Primordial Lullaby. The artist uses a hybrid genre of surrealism and totemism. Predominant amongst the leitmotif of totems are four animate objects deeply linked to the Maltese context: bulls, lizards, figs, and loquat. In the case of the bull, the link extends to its strong representation in Maltese prehistoric art. In this article I explore how the genres of surrealism and totemism both align with the concept and title of Vestiges and discuss the artworks from both colonial and postcolonial standpoints. 2026-05-10T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142310 Title: ‘Parents as partners’ coparenting programme with parents of infants with a highly reactive temperament : a randomised controlled study Authors: Lanfranco, Ingrid M.; Abela, Angela; Cowan, Philip A.; Cowan, Carolyn Pape Abstract: The ‘Parents as Partners’ (PasP) coparenting programme was delivered to heterosexual parents of infants they described as showing a highly reactive temperament (HRT) following the completion of the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire–Revised (IBQ-R) during a standard post-natal visit in their local Health Centre Well Baby Clinic in Malta. Fifty-two participating Maltese couples, all coparenting a highly reactive infant of 8 to 12 months, were randomly assigned into an experimental (n = 30 couples) or control group (n = 25). The IBQ-R, Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS), and Parental Stress Index (PSI-4 SF) at pre- and post-intervention periods were filled out by randomised participants. Intervention group couples followed the 16-week PasP programme. All randomised couples were followed by a case manager monthly. Post-intervention results compared with controls showed reduced couple conflict occurring in front of the child, reduced parent–child dysfunctional interaction, and a reduction in negative child reactivity. Implications point to the importance of including fathers and reducing coparenting conflict in interventions designed to reduce behavioural difficulties in infants and young children. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142206 Title: Beyond the surface : an exploration of family secrets as entry points into complex family dynamics Authors: Camilleri, Rosienne; Sammut Scerri, Clarissa Abstract: This paper explores how family secrets, silences, and disclosures encountered during childhood serve as pivotal elements in understanding complex family dynamics, as revealed through a qualitative study involving seven adult participants. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to examine the participants’ experiences of secrecy within their families. The findings suggest that family secrets, rather than being isolated occurrences, function as ‘entry points’ into more intricate and often hidden family dynamics and underlying issues. These secrets unveil deeper layers of family relationships and communication patterns, providing a portal into unresolved conflicts and unspoken tensions. Participants’ narratives disclosed a broad spectrum of themes, including parental depression, life-threatening illness, paternity uncertainty, financial struggles, infidelity, violence, abuse, and inheritance disputes. The enduring impact of these secrets on the participants’ development, maturation, and relational functioning stresses the importance of addressing such dynamics in systemic therapeutic interventions. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z