The article “Adoptive Identity: How Contexts Within and Beyond the Family Shape Developmental Pathways” by Harold D. Grotevant, Nora Dunbar, and Julie K., explores how adoptive identity affects development. Adoption gives individuals the same legal rights and responsibilities as biological parents, which enhances children’s lives when their birth parents cannot care for them.
According to Grotevant et al. (379), the focus of Kohler and Amy M. Lash Esau’s paper is on adoptive identity and its relationship with social changes and different developmental contexts. The authors argue that the various arrangements of adoption types have an impact on how adolescents develop their adoptive identity (Grotevant et al. 380). They also discuss the negotiation and enactment of adoptive identity within family relationships (Grotevant et al. 83). To support this argument, the author draws upon facts, research, personal experiences, and opinions. Through my own research, I have discovered the diverse nature of adoptions.
The article “Adoptive Identity: How Contexts Within and Beyond Shape Developmental Pathways” explores how various types of adoptions can impact a child’s identity development. These types include stepparent adoptions, adoptions by heterosexual married couples who choose adoption due to infertility, international adoptions, transracial adoptions, and adoptions by single parents (Grotevant et al. 380). The author suggests that these different types of adoptions will particularly affect the identity development of adolescents involved in homosexual and transracial adoptions because such adoptions often involve significant disparities in appearance, culture, and lifestyle between the adopted child and their parents (Caughman, 2012).
The adoption of children from different racial backgrounds can pose a challenge for young adoptees as they may struggle to understand why they do not physically resemble their parents. This difference in appearance can lead the child to feel like they don’t belong and have a significant impact on their self-perception. Grotevant et al. (383) suggest that this sense of being an outsider can influence a child’s sense of identity. Although society is becoming more accepting, there are still unique challenges and concerns regarding identity for children adopted by homosexual couples. It is important to clarify that I am not advocating against homosexual couples adopting; rather, I believe they may encounter difficulties related to identity that heterosexual couples do not face. For example, these children may experience confusion about their own sexual orientation during puberty if raised in a household with same-sex parents compared to most children who have opposite-sex parents.
Adopted individuals raised by homosexual couples may experience shame, dishonor, and mockery, leading to feelings of exclusion and impacting their self-perception. Similarly, children adopted by single parents may face challenges in establishing their identity. Although the number of single parent adoptions has increased in the last decade, they are still less prevalent than adoptions by married couples. The reason for this difference is still unknown.
In many domestic adoptions, birth mothers often prefer married couples to adopt their child due to the belief that they are more likely to provide a stable home and a good life for the child compared to single parents. This preference can potentially impact the child’s identity as they grow up since being raised by a single parent is not considered socially normal when compared to being raised by married parents (Timm, Mooradian, and Hock, 2011).
The authors of this article argue that different types of adoptions, such as homosexual, interracial, and single parent adoptions, can also influence the child’s identity. Additionally, the article discusses closed and open adoptions where adoptive families vary in their level of openness with birth family members. These adoption types range from confidential and closed adoptions to open ones (Grotevant et al., 383). The child’s identity is often shaped by their relationships with their new parents and how much information is disclosed.
Grotevant et al. (383) found that the level of information about adoption and the child’s origins differs based on whether it is an open or closed adoption. While both types of adoption impact the child’s identity, they do so in distinct manners. In an open adoption, there exists a connection between the biological parents and adoptive parents, enabling them to exchange information and communicate via phone, emails, or face-to-face meetings. Conversely, in a closed adoption, the details regarding the biological parents are kept confidential and inaccessible to the adoptive parents.
The child’s identity, including their self-perception, is greatly impacted by both closed and open adoptions. The author asserts that various types of adoption contribute to shaping the child’s development. In closed adoptions, children may encounter difficulties in accepting their adopted status due to a lack of information about their origins. This lasting belief consistently influences their sense of self as they mature.
Open adoptions can greatly affect a child’s development by introducing potential confusion regarding their identity and sense of belonging. While the child may view their adoptive parents as their family, having ongoing contact with their birth parents can pose challenges to this perception, as the bond between a mother and child is usually unparalleled.
The text implies that a child might consistently sense not fitting in or having to be with their biological parents, resulting in them viewing themselves as an outsider. It also contends that the authors of the paper posit that adopted identity arises from the relationships within the adoptive family. Nonetheless, I dissent from this claim because I maintain that even if a child has a favorable bond with their adoptive guardians, they will still encounter bewilderment about their situation and won’t completely perceive themselves as part of the family.
Wegar (1995) states that the establishment of love and trust in adopted children is greatly dependent on the formation of a bond with their adoptive parents. The lack of a biological link between adoptive parents and the child can lead to trust challenges for the child. This reinforces my belief that the connection between adoptive parents and the adopted child does not impact their identity, as there is no biological relation, making this bond incomparable to any other.
In this article, the focus is on the dynamics within adoptive families, specifically the relationship between adopted children and their adoptive parents, the disclosure of adoption information, and the child’s comfort in discussing adoption-related topics. The article includes a personal account from a young woman who recently had her first meeting with her birthfather. This encounter had a profound effect on her sense of self and identity. The woman shares how she often thought about her adoption and desired answers but felt lost and isolated because she didn’t know any other adopted individuals. While her adoptive mother provided support, it wasn’t until she met her birthfather that she truly felt understood and gained insight into her heritage. This highlights that even though she had a supportive adoptive family, they played a lesser role in shaping her identity compared to the transformative impact of reconnecting with her birthfather. Through this experience, rediscovering her origins allowed for the development of a stronger sense of self.
(Grotevant et al. 383, 384)
During adolescence and teenage years, adopted children strive to discover their own identity and connect with someone or something they can relate to. It is clear that without a biological parent, unless the adoption was open, adoptive teenagers lack a role model. However, in cases of open adoption, they have the opportunity to form relationships with both their adoptive and biological parents (Horner & Rosenberg, 1991).
No matter how close an adopted child may be to their adoptive parents, there will always be a feeling of curiosity and longing until they meet their birth mother or father. This document shows that the adopted child’s identity remains unchanged by their relationship with their biological parents.
From a personal experience I witnessed, it is my strong belief that adoption does not have any negative effects on the adopted child. My grandparents told me about their high school friend who became pregnant and decided to place her child for adoption. The adoption process involved an open arrangement, where the adoptive parents regularly sent letters and pictures to update the birth mother on the child’s development.
Although the daughter was in an open adoption, she never had a physical encounter with her birth mom. This left her feeling confused and wanting more clarity about her own identity. Despite having a strong bond with her adoptive parents, she couldn’t ignore the feeling of something missing. It was not until she got married and became pregnant with her first child that she decided to meet her birth mom. This choice ultimately brought them closer together and merged their lives. This decision enabled the daughter to find the answers she had been looking for and no longer feel lost within herself.
This experience I have had disproves the author’s assertion about the relational dynamics within the family. The adopted child’s true identity remains unknown until inquiries regarding their circumstances are resolved or they have a personal encounter with their birthparents. Nevertheless, my research has unearthed sources that challenge my viewpoint and substantiate the claims made in the “Adoptive Identity” paper. One such source is an online publication called “Adoption Quarterly,” authored by Tina M. Timm, John K. Mooradian, and Robert M. Hock, which posits that “family integration involves incorporating a new member into the family structure.”
When the family balance is disrupted, it leads to adopted children feeling isolated and rejected, as if they don’t belong. According to Timm, Mooradian, and Hock (2011), these changes result in a sense of alienation and being unwanted by the family. However, I strongly disagree with this conclusion regarding how family relationships impact a child’s identity. Based on my personal experience, reading the “Adoptive Identity” paper, and other research, I argue that many children only develop their identity after meeting their birth parents, gaining knowledge about their background and reasons for adoption while accepting their adopted status. Therefore, I believe that family relationships do not significantly influence an adopted child’s identity.
The identity of an adopted child is influenced by several factors, including their awareness of being adopted, the ambiguity surrounding their origins, and the reasons for their adoption. These elements play a significant role in shaping the adopted child’s identity. It is essential to understand that familial relationships alone do not determine their sense of self. Adoption offers disadvantaged children a chance to have a meaningful life they deserve but can also trigger emotions like confusion, abandonment, sorrow, or feeling disconnected from the adoptive family.
The identity and self-perception of adopted children can be greatly impacted by different types of adoption, such as interracial, homosexual, and single parent adoption. These various situations may cause confusion for the child, whether it is having two dads or two moms, being raised by white parents while being black, or being raised by a single mom. These circumstances can lead to feelings of uncertainty and being lost for the adopted child. To truly establish their genuine identity, it is essential for adopted children to maintain some form of connection with their birth parents.
How individuals perceive their own identity is a delicate matter, susceptible to negative influences resulting from adoption and the associated effects.
Works Cited
1) Timm, Tina M., John K. Mooradian, and Robert M. Hock. Adoption Quarterly. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 6 Dec. 2011. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 5 Dec. 2012.
<http://10.1080/10926755.2011.628264>
2) The “Two Sets of Parents” Myth. Independent Adoption Center, 2012.<http://adoptionhelp.articles.org/two-set-of-parents-myth>
3) Adoptive Families: The Color of Life.Ed.Susan Caughman.Adoptive Families Magazine,1999.<http://adoptivefamilies.com/transracial-adoption>
4) Horner,T.,& Rosenberg,E.(1991).Birthparent Romances and Identity Formation in Adopted Children.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,61(1),70-77.
5) Wegar,K.(1995).Adoption and Mental Health:A Theoretical Critique of the Psychopathological Model.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,65(4),540-548.
6) Harold D.Grotevant,Nora Dunbar.Julie K.Kohler and Amy M.Lash Esau.Family Relations.Vol49,No4 (Oct.,2000),pp379-387
</http>
</http>
</http>
