Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [177]-192).

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

This study examined the joint effects of background factors, chronic strains, psychological resources, and coping responses on emotional stress among 99 adoptive parents who responded to a mailed questionnaire. Factor analysis identified use of three problem-focused coping strategies (planful problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, confrontive coping) and four emotion-focused coping strategies (accepting responsibility, emphasize positives, wishful thinking, distancing). Multiple regression analysis revealed that parents reporting higher levels of emotional distress were significantly more likely to indicate a pile-up of chronic stressful circumstances related to their status as adoptive parents. More highly stressed parents were also significantly more likely to say-that they made greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies, had adopted an older age child, and received less support from family members. These findings support Pearlin’s (1989) model of the stress process. Implications for additional research in the area of stress and coping among adoptive parents were discussed. / Master of Science

Educational Studies / M.Ed.

Text in Afrikaans / Gesinne met aangenome kinders bevind hulself in 'n eiesoortige gesinsituasie. Die situasie stel verskeie eise aan die ouers asook aan die kinders in die gesin. Bo en behalwe die universele gesinsuitdagings, moet bulle ook die uitdagings uniek aan die aannemingsituasie bemeester. Gesinne met aangenome kinders bevind hulself soms in moeilike situasies en benodig dan ondersteuning. Daarom is daar in hierdie studie besluit om ondersoek in te stel na die effek van gesinsterapie in gesinne met aangenome kinders. Die doel was om vas te stel in watter mate gesinne met aangenome kinders gehelp kan word om probleme te oorkom met gesinsterapie as terapeutiese intervensie. Die navorsing is gedoen aan die hand van 'n kwalitatiewe ontwerp waar data hoofsaaklik ingesamel is deur vraelyste, observasie en onderhoudvoering. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesinsterapie effektief gebruik kan word om hulp te verleen aan die gesin met aangenome kinders. Daar word as 'n span aan die probleme gewerk aangesien gesamentlike doelwitstelling-plaasvind en dit dien ook as 'n belangrike saambindende faktor van die gesinslede. AI die gesinslede se probleme kon gelyktydig aangespreek word in plaas van op 'n individuele basis. / Families with adopted children find themselves in a situation with unique demands made on them as a family as well as on an individual level as a parent or a child. They have to master the universal family challenges as well as the challenges of the family with adopted children. These families often find themselves in complex situations, which are difficult to handle and thus need the necessary support. The reason for this study was therefore to investigate the effect of family therapy in families with adopted children. The aim was to find out how effective a family with adopted children could be helped to solve the problems experienced with family therapy as therapeutic intervention. A qualitative analysis was conducted and data was gathered primarily through questionnaires, observation and interviewing. The results of the research led to the conclusion that family therapy was indeed an effective therapeutic intervention as far as families with adopted children were concerned. It provided the family to work together as a team and created unity. All the family members' problems could also be addressed at once instead of individually. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Educational Studies / M.Ed.

Text in Afrikaans / Gesinne met aangenome kinders bevind hulself in 'n eiesoortige gesinsituasie. Die situasie stel verskeie eise aan die ouers asook aan die kinders in die gesin. Bo en behalwe die universele gesinsuitdagings, moet bulle ook die uitdagings uniek aan die aannemingsituasie bemeester. Gesinne met aangenome kinders bevind hulself soms in moeilike situasies en benodig dan ondersteuning. Daarom is daar in hierdie studie besluit om ondersoek in te stel na die effek van gesinsterapie in gesinne met aangenome kinders. Die doel was om vas te stel in watter mate gesinne met aangenome kinders gehelp kan word om probleme te oorkom met gesinsterapie as terapeutiese intervensie. Die navorsing is gedoen aan die hand van 'n kwalitatiewe ontwerp waar data hoofsaaklik ingesamel is deur vraelyste, observasie en onderhoudvoering. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesinsterapie effektief gebruik kan word om hulp te verleen aan die gesin met aangenome kinders. Daar word as 'n span aan die probleme gewerk aangesien gesamentlike doelwitstelling-plaasvind en dit dien ook as 'n belangrike saambindende faktor van die gesinslede. AI die gesinslede se probleme kon gelyktydig aangespreek word in plaas van op 'n individuele basis. / Families with adopted children find themselves in a situation with unique demands made on them as a family as well as on an individual level as a parent or a child. They have to master the universal family challenges as well as the challenges of the family with adopted children. These families often find themselves in complex situations, which are difficult to handle and thus need the necessary support. The reason for this study was therefore to investigate the effect of family therapy in families with adopted children. The aim was to find out how effective a family with adopted children could be helped to solve the problems experienced with family therapy as therapeutic intervention. A qualitative analysis was conducted and data was gathered primarily through questionnaires, observation and interviewing. The results of the research led to the conclusion that family therapy was indeed an effective therapeutic intervention as far as families with adopted children were concerned. It provided the family to work together as a team and created unity. All the family members' problems could also be addressed at once instead of individually. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

The purpose of this study was to try to interpret interactions between social worker and adoptive parents during the adoption process from a power perspective. The study was inspired by a hermeneutic inductive approach because we were interested in the interpretation of the empirical material. The study was conducted using four qualitative interviews with a total of seven people, four adoptive parents and three social workers. The collected material is then analyzed using a content analysis. To interpret the contact between the adoptive parents and social workers, we have used a power perspective. Our study showed that the applicant, generally speaking, was positive to that an investigation was made based on “the child’s interest”, but experienced some of the questions as intrusive. They found that the assessment made was crucial for the decision, and that it easily can vary from case to case for the decision and that the assessment can certainly vary in different cases. The social workers did not feel that they had any noticeable power, because they do not make the final decision. Their assessment was partly based on laws and guidelines that set the context, for example, how old the applicants may be and the requirement that the applicants must be married. Assessments are also made on the social worker’s individual characteristics based on the applicant's personal qualities such as insight and ability to care for a child.

The study explored the narratives of three adoptive couples. The participants were selected using criterion based convenience and snowball sampling. The adoptive couples’ data was captured through written narratives and/or individual or joint semi-structured interviews. The data was then analysed by means of thematic analysis conducted from the perspective of second order cybernetics. The results note the participants’ experiences of their infertility threatened their functioning as a couple. However, this threat to the couples’ functioning was limited by the adoptions through two means. First, the adoptions limited the couples’ communication about their infertility. Second, the adoptions allowed the couples to continue functioning as a couple dedicated to the goal of becoming parents. Differences between the participant couples’ experiences surrounded their interactions with social workers; their selection of support structures; their interaction with external systems; as well as their anxiety towards the individuation of the adopted child. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)