Understanding the concept of adoption: a qualitative analysis with adoptees and their parents

Abstract

I am so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful children and supportive family members. To my husband, Chip, thank you for your patience, understanding, and support which has helped me further my education. I truly appreciate your extra help around the house, with my schoolwork, and with our children. To my outstanding children, Blake and Danielle, thank you for letting me work, go to school, study, and still be a mom! I am the luckiest mom in the whole wide world! Most importantly, I appreciate everyone's love, support, and prayers. To my parents, Duane and Helen, thank you for teaching me the value of hard work, education, and perseverance. I would not be able to accomplish my goals without these values. To my brother Troy, thank you for your support. To my biological family, thank you for giving me the material to work with for my thesis. Grandma, thanks for your "uncanny" encouragement and role-modeling of a very strong, well-read, well-educated woman. You were a "woman before your time." Sedahlia Jasper Crase, thank you so much for your guidance, wisdom, keen eye for detail, and modeling of professionalism! I have learned so much from you. Thank you for taking me on as an additional student when your workload was already incomprehensible! To my committee members, Mack Shelley and Ron Werner-Wilson, thank you for your insights and comments. Mack, your eye for detail and modesty are great examples for me! Ron, thanks for advising from "afar." I appreciate your willingness to remain on my committee. vi Lastly, thank you to all the wonderful families who shared their hearts, homes, and experiences with me so I could learn more about adoption! I look forward to working with you so we can make a difference! vii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of children's and adults' experiences with adoption. This qualitative study used individual interviews to examine 25 participants-8 adoptive mothers and fathers, and their 5-to 14-year-old sons (n=5) and daughters (n=4) adopted before 18 months. Data were collected using a phenomenological methodology and analysis of the data was guided by the following research questions: (a) What are children's and parents' 1 overall experiences with adoption? (b) What is the social construction of adoption? (c) What do children understand about the concept of adoption and how do they construct that understanding? (d) How do language and word choices influence the concept of adoption? (e) What would you like others to know about adoption? Analysis followed steps defined by Moustakas and others and revealed five interactive themes that resonated among all families (a) parents' beliefs/experiences, (b) the need for education and change to promote adoption and positive adoption terminology, (c) communication, (d) children's understanding, (e) and identity. Limitations, future research possibilities, policy implications and implications for those who counsel, teach, and work with parents and children who have experienced adoption were identified. 1 The te...

Adopted college students' family adoption communication processes: A mixed methods study

“…A review of the literature revealed there are many unknown facets concerning family adoption communication processes and topic avoidance within adoptive families has been underexplored. However, my prior thesis research demonstrated that topic avoidance may be prevalent within adoptive families (Baltimore, 2007). Thus, the purposes of this study were to elucidate family communication processes concerning adoption and to explore the possibility of adoption-related topic avoidance within adoptive families.…”

“…Mixed methods is a research design aligned with the pragmatic paradigm-it assumes there are multiple, legitimate approaches to social inquiry and that any one approach to such inquiry is inevitably partial (Greene, 2008). This approach was identified as the best method to answer the research questions posed in the current study because it was expected to elicit more information than what was derived from the first phase of the research-the initial qualitative inquiry (Baltimore, 2007).…”

“…Hence, results from my thesis (phase 1; Baltimore, 2007) informed the creation of the research questions, survey, and data collection processes used in phase 2 (this current mixed methods study). The phases of this study are displayed in the methodology section (see Figures 1 and 2).…”

“…In addition to gender differences in communication, the phase 1 qualitative inquiry (Baltimore, 2007) with children adopted before 18 months of age, comprised of 5 males and 4 females, between the ages of 5 to 14 years, revealed that the three oldest females (ages 8-13 years) had adoption-related curiosities they had not communicated to their parents (Baltimore, 2007). For instance, in response to the question, -Is there anything you don't like about being adopted?‖ Child 7 (11-year-old female) answered, "I have to wait seven more years before I get to see my real parents.‖ Child 7's mother was surprised at her comment because Child 7 had never communicated any desire to meet her birthparents.…”

“…However, neither her mother nor her father could ever recall any conversation where she discussed her biological father. On the other hand, the oldest males in the phase 1 study (Baltimore, 2007) said they do not have questions about their adoptions. These findings are congruent with the notion that adolescents tend to have more questions about their adoptionrelated circumstances (Palacios & S'anchez-Sandoval, 2005), that adopted children are curious about their birth family members (Wrobel & Neil, 2009;Wrobel, Kohler, Grotevant, & McRoy, 1998), and that gender differences exist in the manner in which male and female children communicate with their parents about adoption.…”