Transracial Adoption: South Africa as a Special Case

Luyt, Jean; Swartz, Leslie

doi:10.1080/10926755.2021.1884153

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Similarly, families formed through transracial adoption must contend with familial experiences that challenge ideologies that families must be linked by racial lineage, resemblance, and biological relationships (Goss 2018). Scholarly works on transracial adoption have proliferated in recent years, with research spanning a wide-range of adoption contexts, including within countries in Africa (Luyt and Swartz 2021), Asia (Heimsoth and Laser 2008;Johnson 2002), Europe (Ferrari and Rosnati 2013;Howell 2006;San Román and Rotabi 2019;Wyver 2019Wyver , 2021Yngvesson 2000Yngvesson , 2012, and South America (Cawayu and De Graeve 2020;Fonseca 2002).…”

Section: Transracial Adoption Humanitarianism and Colonialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complexities of Mixed Families: Transracial Adoption as a Humanitarian Project

Goss

2022

Genealogy

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Along with other types of racially mixed families, families built through transracial adoption in the United States have solidified as an increasingly recognized family form. Along with this increasing acknowledgement, transracial families must also contend with narratives that formulate transracial adoption as an act of humanitarianism on the one hand and as a replication of systemic racism and colonialism on the other. This article explores how members of transracial families respond to these contradictory narratives through interviews with 30 transracial adoptees and their white siblings. Their experiences highlight three responses that transracial family members have regarding the idea of their families being classified as a humanitarian project: recreating transracial adoption as humanitarianism within their own lives, reclaiming their identity and family as separate from humanitarianism, and resisting the humanitarian aspects of transracial adoption altogether. Specifically, this study adds nuance to the question of how mixed families navigate the enduring power of humanitarianism within their own lives.

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Section: Transracial Adoption Humanitarianism and Colonialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complexities of Mixed Families: Transracial Adoption as a Humanitarian Project

Goss

2022

Genealogy

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“…The need for and experience of transracial adoption is influenced by specific circumstances in the South African context (Luyt & Swartz, 2022b). Transracial adoption in South Africa represents a stark example of adoption as an index of vulnerability (Treitler, 2014) as Black children are especially vulnerable because of apartheid (Luyt & Swartz, 2022b) while social services resources were historically allocated disproportionally to White South Africans (Patel et al, 2017). The South African adoption system, based in Western notions of family, does not accord well with the Black African population (Gerrand, 2018; Gerrand & Nathane‐Taulela, 2015; Gerrand & Nkomo, 2020; Gerrand & Stevens, 2019; Gerrand & Warria, 2020) and is forbidden in Islam (Assim & Sloth‐Nielsen, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Documentary analysis of the legal and policy framework of transracial adoption in South Africa

Luyt

Swartz

2023

Child & Family Social Work

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Transracial adoption was legalized in South Africa through legislative reform as South Africa moved into a post-apartheid era of non-racialism. Transracial adoption offers one option of placement for Black children in need of alternative care. However, adoption continues to face obstacles to implementation, including cultural obstacles which impact on placement of Black African children. This paper reports on adoption statistics on national adoption in the period 2013-2021 and a documentary analysis of the current legal and policy framework governing transracial adoption.We cover international instruments, local laws, including the Children's Act of 2005, and relevant policy documents designed to facilitate the implementation of adoption.We show that the law is supportive of transracial adoption, but that policy documents offer a somewhat contradictory stance to the practice. The lack of success of transracial adoption as a child protection strategy does not lie within the legal framework but may lie in the difficulties in interpreting and implementing the range of different policies by those implementing these policies. More research into the implementation practice of these bureaucrats is required to understand the underutilization of transracial adoption as a placement option for Black children in South Africa.

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“…However, some argue for the need for more nuanced outcome measures (Burrow & Finley, 2004) and recommend addressing additional issues when a child is adopted transracially (Hrapczynski & Leslie, 2019; Lee, 2003; Pinderhughes, 2019; Pinderhughes et al, 2021; Snyder, 2012; Treitler, 2014). Investigating these issues is likely to be significantly different in South Africa, given the specific socioeconomic and political context (Luyt & Swartz, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The history of racial segregation in South Africa, and current socioeconomic and political features of the society, described by Luyt & Swartz (2022), make South Africa an interesting context in which to explore TRA. Transracial adoption remains contentious in South Africa, and approaches to TRA are still in the development stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Black African 1 and Coloured children were over‐represented and White and Indian/Asian children under‐represented (Gerrand & Warria, 2020; Mokomane & Rochat, 2010, 2012; Rochat et al, 2016). For a full review of the factors that make Black children most vulnerable, including high rates of abandonment and lack of support for African migrants and refugees in South Africa, see Luyt and Swartz (2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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