About This Course
This module explores the dynamic world where children and adults intersect, focusing on how diverse, evolving family structures and modern influences—from shifting parenting styles to advances in conception—shape children's development and perspectives. By exploring these changing relationships, we uncover how both children and adults grow and redefine family together.
Who is this course for?
This short course is for people who work with children and young people and want to understand how the family affects their development and wellbeing.
Why study this course?
This course is designed to allow you to:
1. Analyse the relationship between Society, the individual and the family and explain the impact of these on the child’s experience and development
2. Critically analyse what it is to be a child of a contemporary family
3. Critically analyse the diversity of family structure, values, styles and Dynamics and children’s participation in Building these
4. Apply a critical understanding of the key issues that affect family structure and Dynamics to the work with children
How long does this course take to complete?
This short course runs over 6 weeks, usually in the second semester of the year.
Information about assessments:
Assessments on this short course will include: · Group Oral Exam (20 minutes) · Insight and evaluation of the experience of the child in a modern family (1500 words)
Tutors
Dr. Nia Young is the Director of Professional Learning and Community Engagement at the School of Education, and she lectures in Childhood and Youth Studies as well as in Counselling Children and Young People. Her research centers on minority language use and its impact on children's self-esteem. As a dedicated advocate for children’s rights, Dr. Young has promoted youth voice in decision-making processes through her role with the Wales Observatory on the Human Rights of the Child and by founding Bangor’s Youth Summits. These summits gather children and young people from across Wales to meet with politicians and researchers, encouraging discussions on the changes young people want to see to secure their futures. Dr. Young also collaborated with Wrexham University to deliver the Children’s University in North Wales, expanding children and young people's access to extracurricular activities to inspire greater opportunities and aspirations. A strong proponent of children's wellbeing and participation rights, she is deeply engaged in exploring how societal perceptions of childhood shape children’s experiences and opportunities.
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
We know that experiences in families can shape the way children understand the world. This module uses a combination of recorded lectures and online seminars to explore the importance of considering the family in work with children and young people. From considering different family systems, structures, and practices, to exploring children’s spaces and autonomy, this module will help practitioners to consider how family life can impact a child’s world. This module offers an exciting opportunity to interrogate societal norms and reflect on how our family-related values and experiences might impact our work with children and Young people. this module, you will challenge your own understandings of family by exploring a range of different perspectives on and approaches to working with children and their families.
List of units
Topics covered on this module may include:
- What is family?
- Construction of childhood within the family
- Divorce, separation, and loss
- Sexuality, gender identity and the family
- Family mental health
- Working with families.
Course Cost
Please see our Postgraduate Fees and Finance page for further information.
Entry Requirements
This is aimed at those who work with children and young people in any setting. It is a post-graduate level module and so applicants would usually be expected to have completed an undergraduate degree. We will also consider applicants who have at least 3 years of relevant work experience and have evidence of recent study or professional development (to demonstrate an ability to study at level 7).
Please contact the course lead to discuss further.
Application
How to Apply
Please make sure you read and follow the step-by-step application guide as this will specify which sections of the application form are compulsory for the type of course you want to apply for and save you time.
Please prepare the following information (in a Word document):
- Current employment details;
- Years of experience, and employment history (where relevant)
- Name of staff member and organisation that have approved your funding for this module.
This will speed up the process of completing the application form.
To apply for this course, you need to create an account in our
You will need access to the email address you specify while creating your account to confirm it.
After creating an account, you will see a homepage with several tabs:
- Personal
- Programme
- Info
- Contact
- Education
- Employment
- Language
- Finance
You need to complete all sections before submitting your application.
When a section is complete, a ‘tick’ symbol will appear below it.
- Click on ‘Non-graduating applications / Stand alone Modules’, then select ‘Non-graduating Postgraduate Taught’.
- In the next section, select - Non-Graduating Taught Modules in Education(NGGT/EDU). Click Save and Continue.
- On the next page, the default for the first question is Full Time. You need to change this to ‘Part time’:
- You now need to input the module code. For Modern Families, the code for January start is PPC-4014. This section must be completed for your application to be processed.
- You also need to state the start date. This course runs twice per year (September and January). Please select one of these options, then click ‘Save and Continue’.
- IMPORTANT: You do not need to write a personal statement to apply for this course. Instead, please upload the document including employment, experience and education information that you have created prior to starting the application that contains the name of your current employer, the number of years of experience you have, and your highest qualification to date. Click Save and continue.
You only need to enter the details of your highest qualification to date, e.g. if you have a postgraduate qualification, please only only include this.
You will be asked for evidence of the qualification. Please either upload a copy of your qualification if it's easily accessible, or upload the Word document again (that you prepared earlier).
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘I have no employment history’ (as you have already provided this in your Word document).
If you are self-funding, please provide all details as appropriate.