Racial–Ethnic Socialization and Transracial Adoptee Outcomes: A Systematic Research Synthesis

Montgomery, Jordan E.; Jordan, Nickolas A.

doi:10.1007/s10560-018-0541-9

Cited by 24 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In the middle of this is an area where differences are both acknowledged and incorporated into the family. In intercountry adoptive families, this divergence of origin includes ethnic factors, such as traditions, values, social class, religion and, in some cases, race (Ferrari, et al, 2015;Ferrari, et al, 2017;Lee and Park, 2019;Montgomery and Jordan, 2018). The ability to acknowledge these kinds of differences is an important aspect of parental cultural socialisation regarding the child's background and intercountry adopters are expected to accept and actively support this process (Anderson, et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year

Canzi

Molgora

Ferrari

et al. 2021

Adoption & Fostering

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Intercountry adoption requires adoptive parents to assume their parenthood as well as to acknowledge the cultural and ethnic origins of their child. Narratives are effective means to help individuals cope with non-normative transitions, including adoption, as they allow them to make sense of and legitimise their experiences. This qualitative study sought to extend knowledge about the value of using narrative methods with adoptive families to explore how the language they employ determines the ways in which they perceive situations and vice versa. It uses the word-driven textual analysis software T-LAB to identify key topics highlighted by parents and analyse them in relation to specific variables. Child characteristics, such as gender, age at adoption and birth country, and family variables, such as mother’s and father’s narratives and first or not-first parenting experience, were considered. From the 37 narratives sampled, those parents adopting from Asia and Eastern Europe, mothers and first-time parents faced the most challenges.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year

Canzi

Molgora

Ferrari

et al. 2021

Adoption & Fostering

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The NABSW statement against transracial adoption of Black children was prescient as later research detailed transracially adopted persons' identity development struggles and experiences with racism that many adoptees and families felt unprepared to address (Montgomery & Jordan, 2018). Numerous studies depicted the quandary in which some transracially adopted adolescents and young adults find themselves when attempting to navigate racial identity development as a person of color absent from being raised in a community of color (Lee, 2003;Montgomery & Jordan, 2018;Samuels, 2009). One group of researchers summarized the identity development dilemma by stating, "Those adopted across race and culture also face the reality of integrating racial/ethnic identity without input from a family with this lived experience" (McGinnis et al, 2009, p. 11).…”

Section: Cultural Socialization Racism and Microaggressionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational–Cultural Theory: A Supportive Framework for Transracial Adoptive Families

Branco

2021

The Family Journal

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Transracially adopted children and adolescents are subject to increased risks to their mental health and identity development as a result of racism and microaggressions. The risks are exacerbated by limited racial–ethnic socialization from their mostly White adoptive parents. This article reviews the history of transracial adoption in the United States through the lens of colonization, describes research related to racism and its impact on transracially adopted children, and recommends relational–cultural theory as a supportive framework for school, mental health, and family counselors.

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“…Families who recognize racial difference within the family and how race structures the lives of their child of color are more likely to connect their child to their culture of origin and prepare them to cope with discrimination (Berbery & O'Brien, 2011; Hrapczynski & Leslie, 2018). These racial socialization practices are linked to transracial adoptee well‐being (Montgomery & Jordan, 2018). In the book, differential levels of belief in the value of such conversations and/or parents' level of comfort with discussions about race seem to drive their actions.…”

Section: Contextualizing Opennessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Open adoption and diverse families: Complex relationships in the digital age. Abbie E.Goldberg. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2019

Hrapczynski

2021

J of Family Theo & Revie

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In Open Adoption and Diverse Families: Complex Relationships in the Digital Age, author and scholar Abbie E. Goldberg invites readers to deepen their understanding of the complexity and nuance open adoption presents. By the intricate interweaving of 132 adoptive parents' voices, Goldberg elucidates the diverse experiences of adoptive parents with a focus on those navigating openness. The text largely relies on rich description and direct quotes from interviews conducted at four points in time from preadoption to 8 years postadoption. A longitudinal approach enables her to speak to the ebbing and flowing of openness, both structural and communicative, over time, and is regarded as a strength. Although Goldberg identifies common themes in the parents' experiences, which serve as the backbone of the book, her writing also demonstrates that each family's journey is unique.Recent trends in adoption practice reveal a significant shift away from limited or no contact between adoptive and birth families toward encouraging some degree of openness (Wiley, 2017). Openness comes in many shapes and sizes, varying based on type, frequency, and duration of contact (Grotevant, 2012). On one end of the spectrum are closed or confidential adoptions, in which adoptive and birth families have no contact or exchange of information. In mediated adoptions, an agency facilitates the exchange of information without direct interaction between adoptive and birth families, while in fully disclosed adoptions, adoptive and birth families exchange identifying information and maintain some degree (or potential for) direct contact (Grotevant & McRoy, 1998). Families may exchange information and photographs; communicate via the phone, mail, email, Skype, and/or social media; and/or interact in person. These connections may begin prior to the birth of the child, shortly thereafter, or years later, and may fluctuate over time (Siegel & Smith, 2012). Brodzinsky (2005) refers to this contact as structural openness and distinguishes it from communicative openness: the degree of willingness to think about and engage in discussions about adoption. Structural openness and communicative openness have been shown to benefit adoptees' development and other members of the adoption kinship network, including adoptive parents and birth family members (Siegel & Smith, 2012).Qualitative investigation of adoptive parents' (Hays et al., 2016), birth mothers' (Clutter, 2017), and adoptees' (Berge et al., 2006) experiences with open adoption is not absent from the empirical literature. However, Goldberg's book provides an unmatched look into the perceptions of adoptive parents over time. The depth of the stories, the exploration of both structural openness and communicative openness, and the intersection of openness with other contemporary adoption trends all contribute to its success.

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Racial–Ethnic Socialization and Transracial Adoptee Outcomes: A Systematic Research Synthesis

Cited by 24 publications

References 38 publications

‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year

‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year

Relational–Cultural Theory: A Supportive Framework for Transracial Adoptive Families

Open adoption and diverse families: Complex relationships in the digital age. Abbie E.Goldberg. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2019

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