Members of the adoption triad, be warned: tenure-seeking academics are studying you!
I just scraped the surface of what appears to be a treasure trove of academic research about adoption. As I was looking for research in another field, I happened upon this little nugget, titled, “Narrative Coherence in Online Stories Told by Members of the Adoption Triad,” by all these people: Leslie Baxter, Kristen Norwood, Bryan Asbury, Amber Jannusch & Kristina M. Scharp.
Heard of it? It’s a 20 page paper published in the Journal of Family Communication about the kinds of stories the adoption community writes about online, and the similarities and differences in the ways these personal adoption experiences are written and explained.
At least, that’s what I think it’s about. I admit, I haven’t gotten through most of it yet. That’s because the first paragraph stopped me in my tracks!
Although adoption is a relatively common way that families are created, it is still a process that results in a family form often perceived as nonnormative, less preferable, and generally inferior to biologically based families (e.g., Fisher, 2003; Harrigan & Braithwaite, 2010). As a consequence, each person involved in the adoption triad (the adoptive parent(s), the adoptee, and the birth mother) often bears some type of stigma, that is, a negatively valenced perception of deviance (Goffman, 1963). The perception of difference and lack of legitimacy that often accompany the adoption experience might motivate members of the adoption triad to formulate narratives which explain and justify their experiences with adoption to others as well as to themselves. As Galvin (2006a) explains, when families depart from normative expectations of family, as adoptive families do, “their definitional processes expand exponentially, rendering their identity highly discourse dependent” (p. 3).
Wow, wow, WOW! There’s so much to discuss here. I’ll start by saying I ain’t mad that a little ol’ birth sibling like me was left out of the equation. I understand there aren’t many blogging about (or who even know about) their experiences.
I agree with this idea that people connected to adoption carry a stigma (according to society’s standards) because our family story is seen as unnatural, inferior, and not normal. We get this stigma despite the fact that MANY, MANY Americans are connected to adoption in some way. Go figure.
So, is this why we’re drawn to write about it? Do adoption bloggers have an affinity for airing out (or justifying) our so-called dirty laundry? Or are we using narratives to try to remove the stigma society undeservedly placed on the adoption triad?
I’ll let you know when I read more from this study. Or when I figure it out for myself. In the meantime please share your thoughts.
Adoptees have been studied agressively in the last 50 years. Heck one agency separated twins just to study them – what were they thinking right? There are longitudinal studies, one time studies, meta-analysis studies – you name it – it’s out there and each one with their own agenda and outcome bias. The industry makes as nonnormative just as much as the public does. We are stigmatized. I started blogging because I was tired of non-adoptees creating the narratives for adoptees they had never met or talked to. Adoptee bloggers are a collective of the many unique adoptees but there is a common theme…
Will check it the study. Hope you have a great holiday!
Merry Christmas ,Sheeka. For years I have said that the one person whose “best interests” are supposed to be first and foremost had no part in signing the papers. They are thought of as perpetual children never getting old enough to know who they really are! My friend who is an adoptee,and I a Mother,(I HATE the prefix B) were on a live call in show in Augusta Georgia some years back. While I was on the term Bmother was under my name,When Liz was on hers’ said adopted child. She was 47 at the time!
Another Friend who writes poetry wrote a book entitled Adoption Natural thoughts on an unnatural act. I think that sums it up. To those who say I gave my baby away,I say don’t judge me.It was 1963 my family an social wreckers never gave me a choice. I was imprisoned in a florence crittenton facility and told I would go home and forget. That was a lie straight out of hell!
Pollie W
FCF-DC
class of ’63
Hey Pollie, thanks for your response, and Merry Christmas! My mom was also in a Florence Crittenton home when she had my sister. Our society has come around quite a bit when it comes to the rights of mothers, but I also believe we have a LONG way to go. It’s interesting that they called your friend a child! I think that says a lot. Our culture seems to have an odd fascination with adoption. There are so many books, movies, etc that make it into a mystical act when these are real scenarios that regular people experience, both good and bad.
Thanks TAO for your response. You seem to know a lot about these kinds of studies! I would love to pick your brain about other information these researchers are coming up with. Is it still full of bias, or are there interesting insights in any of them? I agree with you in that the more people connected to adoption talk about their experiences the more normal it will sound to people who may not be so familiar.