Breaking the Seal: Taking Adoption Issues to the Academicand Professional Communities

Javier, Ricardo; Baden, Amanda L.; Biafora, Frank A.; Camacho-Gingerich, Alina

doi:10.4135/9781412976633.n1

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…For example, a UK study that analysed social work assessments found that gay men wishing to become an adoptive or foster parent sometimes faced discriminatory and homophobic attitudes ( Hicks, 2005 ). Seen through an intersectional lens ( Collins, 1998 ; Bowleg, 2008 ), the present findings reveal how various aspects of fathers’ identities, such as relationship status and gender, appeared to have an additive effect in fathers’ perceptions of others’ views of their ability to become an adoptive parent, mirroring Boyer’s (2007) finding that same-gender male couples experienced ‘double stigma’ when adopting. Further, the findings indicate that despite a large body of research demonstrating that family structure is less influential than the quality of family relationships for children’s psychological adjustment ( Golombok, 2020 ), single fathers still experience prejudice ( Carone et al , 2021a ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Single fathers’ experiences of using egg donation and surrogacy to start a family

Jones,

Jadva,

Zadeh

et al. 2023

Human Reproduction

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STUDY QUESTION What are the experiences of single men using egg donation and surrogacy as a route to parenthood? SUMMARY ANSWER The fathers mainly had a positive relationship with the surrogate and simultaneously exercised agency, and experienced challenges, during the process of surrogacy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Little is known about single men’s experiences of egg donation and surrogacy arrangements. Studies have focused on single men’s decision-making processes about the use of surrogacy and family functioning once these families are formed. Questions remain about how fathers experience and navigate the process of surrogacy as a single man. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The study is an international, in-depth qualitative study of fathers who chose to begin a family and parent alone. Data were collected between 2018 and 2021 as part of a larger study of solo fathers with different routes to parenthood. The present study reports on 21 fathers who used surrogacy and egg donation to begin their family. The average age of the fathers was 44 years, the fathers had young children aged 6 years or younger, and lived in countries across Australia, Europe, and North America. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interview topics included fathers’ experiences of the process of using egg donation and surrogacy, and navigating the relationship with the surrogate. The audio-recorded interviews lasted around 2 hours and were subsequently transcribed verbatim. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and qualitative content analysis. Most of the fathers chose an identifiable egg donor. Regarding the relationship with the surrogate, many fathers had remained in contact with her, but to differing degrees, and they generally reported positive relationships. Thematic analysis led to the identification of three themes relating to the fathers’ experiences of choosing surrogacy as a single man: the ability to make choices; challenges and constraints; and special relationship. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Due to the variation between different countries regarding laws on surrogacy, contextual factors may have impacted on the experiences of single fathers, and the sample size was small. However, the research provides new insights into an area with little academic literature. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Given the growing trend of single men having children through surrogacy, the findings suggest that this new path to parenthood can be both rewarding and challenging. Single men may benefit from tailored support and counselling to help them navigate the surrogacy journey. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 208013/Z/17/Z). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER n/a

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Single fathers’ experiences of using egg donation and surrogacy to start a family

Jones,

Jadva,

Zadeh

et al. 2023

Human Reproduction

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“…By focusing on adoptive fathers, this study sheds further light on the experience of parenting outside the realm of biological kinship. Like gay and lesbian families, adoptive families and adopted children are often stigmatized and viewed as a second tier of families (Javier, Baden, Biafora, Camacho‐Gingerich, & Henderson, ). Questions posed to adopted children like “Who is your real mother?” suggest that an adoptive family is somehow not legitimate and that relationships between adoptive parents and their children are inferior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reminders of Heteronormativity: Gay Adoptive Fathers Navigating Uninvited Social Interactions

Vinjamuri

2015

Family Relations

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Gay adoptive fathers and their children are becoming more visible in American society. Consequently, a deeper understanding is needed of the challenges and opportunities gay fathers experience in social interactions. Using a phenomenological approach, gay adoptive fathers from 20 families were interviewed about their experiences parenting as gay men. Although fathers led fulfilling lives as parents, many of them faced uninvited social interactions that reminded them of their place in a heterosexual order. These reminders of heteronormativity included scrutiny about their parenting, concerns about the well‐being of their children, and decisions regarding disclosing information about their families. This article illustrates the use of a social constructionist lens to understand the emotional burdens gay adoptive fathers carry navigating these interactions in public settings. By narrowing the focus on such encounters, this article attunes practitioners and educators to gay fathers' emotional worlds while deepening their understanding of the social fabric of heteronormativity.

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“…However, despite the millions of children who are currently in adoptive families globally, researchers agree that there is very little information or training to support education professionals who currently work with these children and their families at school (Baker, 2013;Donalds, 2012;Javier, Baden, Biafora, & Camacho-Gingerich, 2007;Taymans et al, 2008). Limited empirical data has been gathered by Australian researchers due to the legal family status afforded adoptees after they join their adoptive families and to changing government priorities regarding child welfare and safety.…”

Section: Chapter Summary and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the primary school experiences of intercountry adoptees : perspectives of adoptive parents and children

Sempowicz¹

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Breaking the Seal: Taking Adoption Issues to the Academicand Professional Communities

Cited by 4 publications

References 16 publications

Single fathers’ experiences of using egg donation and surrogacy to start a family

Single fathers’ experiences of using egg donation and surrogacy to start a family

Reminders of Heteronormativity: Gay Adoptive Fathers Navigating Uninvited Social Interactions

Examining the primary school experiences of intercountry adoptees : perspectives of adoptive parents and children

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