Cultural Differences and Perceived Belonging During Korean Adoptees' Reunions With Birth Families

Docan-Morgan, Sara

doi:10.1080/10926755.2015.1088109

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Although there is no comprehensive data on how many adoptees have searched for and reunited with their birth families, it is assumed that these adoptees searching and reuniting with their birth families has been observed as a post-adoption phenomenon. While studies on adoptees' reunion experiences have mainly been conducted on domestic adoptions (Affleck and Steed, 2001;Browning and Duncan, 2005;Gladstone and Westhues, 1998;Howe and Feast, 2001;Lifton, 2009;Passmore and Feeney, 2009), there has been research focused on the reunion experience of transnational adoptees (Docan-Morgan, 2014, 2016Son, 2013;Wang et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sense of self: A narrative study of international adult Korean adoptees’ relationship with their birth families

Son

2017

Qualitative Social Work

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Adult adoptees searching and reuniting with birth families have been observed as a normative developmental work. The purpose of this study was to explore international adult Korean adoptees’ sense of self through their relationships with their birth families. A qualitative approach implementing narrative inquiry was used for this study. Open-ended interviews were conducted with nine international adult Korean adoptees who have had reunion experiences with their birth families and have continuing relationships with their birth families. This study concludes that international adult Korean adoptees’ relationships with their birth families precipitate the ongoing development of their senses of self in their adulthoods.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sense of self: A narrative study of international adult Korean adoptees’ relationship with their birth families

Son

2017

Qualitative Social Work

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“…This study's focus on transnational Korean adoptees marks the first study to examine the adoptive family's role in intercountry birth family reunions. These reunions require adoptees to navigate cultural (Docan‐Morgan, 2016) and language differences with their birth families in addition to the uncertainties of knowing how the meeting and relationship will unfold. Most adoptees must also travel internationally to their birth country, which involves financing the trip, navigating in an unfamiliar country, and being away from one's place of comfort and familiarity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discursive struggles in “real” families: Korean adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth family reunions

Docan-Morgan

2021

Family Relations

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Objective: This study explores transnational Korean adoptees' interactions with their adoptive families surrounding birth family reunion. Background: Using relational dialectics theory as a guide, this study takes an adoptee-centered approach to understanding the broader cultural and relational discourses that interplay with adoptee and adoptive parent messages surrounding birth family reunions. Method: In-depth interviews with 19 Korean adult adoptees from the United States and Denmark were conducted to explore adoptive family interactions surrounding reunion.Results: Most participants reported that their adoptive parents responded supportively to reunion. Still, participants' responses revealed two main discourses surrounding their own communication with their adoptive family surrounding reunion: reassuring their adoptive family and holding back affection or questions toward the birth family in the presence of an adoptive parent. Cultural discourses about having only one set of "real" parents and other adoptees' experiences interplayed with the discourses of reassurance and holding back. Adoptees whose parents were open about their birth family from a young age tended recall reassuring their parents. Conclusion: Even with adoptive parent support, adoptees may still feel the need to reassure their adoptive parents and hold back affection and curiosity toward the birth family. Implications: Holding back may prevent adoptees from engaging with their birth families fully. Reassuring turns the focus toward the adoptive parents. Practitioners should encourage ongoing communication about the birth family, and adoptive parents should show active support for the reunion and interest in the birth family afterward.

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“…Of the remaining Colombian adoptees, 40 participants were in the search category with only six in the reunited searchers category. Specific to Colombian adoptees, Tieman et al (2008) found an overall preoccupation with adoption and searching for birth family as compared to other countries, which they attributed to the inherent challenges in searching in Colombia. Ultimately, Tieman et al’s (2008) research endorsed that transnational adoptee searching is a normative developmental task.…”

Section: Search and Reunionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Tieman et al (2008) engaged in a Netherlands’ longitudinal study of transnational and transracial adoptees starting in childhood. As the sample cohort approached young adulthood, the researchers sought to learn factors related to searching for birth families.…”

Section: Search and Reunionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Reclamation of Self: Kinship and Identity in Transnational Colombian Adoptee First Family Reunions

2022

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In this qualitative study the researchers interviewed 17 adult transnational Colombian adoptees in reunion with their Colombian first families. Through thematic analysis methodology three themes emerged: (1) first family influences, (2) navigating between families, and (3) identity reclamation. Participants in the study described the impact reunion had on their perceptions of family and their identities. The Competencies for Working with Transracial Adoptees and the Transracial Adoption Kinship Network (TrAKN) served as a framework to discuss implications for adoptees and family counselors.

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Cultural Differences and Perceived Belonging During Korean Adoptees' Reunions With Birth Families

Cited by 18 publications

References 20 publications

Sense of self: A narrative study of international adult Korean adoptees’ relationship with their birth families

Sense of self: A narrative study of international adult Korean adoptees’ relationship with their birth families

Discursive struggles in “real” families: Korean adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth family reunions

The Reclamation of Self: Kinship and Identity in Transnational Colombian Adoptee First Family Reunions

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