The increase in transracial adoption in modern society has not been without some controversy over its practice. Conflicting studies, have exposed and given rise to greater sensitivity to the impact of transracial adoption on adoptees-. As noted, prior studies have indicated that Korean adoptees adjust well to their environment (Feigelman & Silverman, Kim, 1977, 1978; Simon, 1974); however, some studies indicate a negative outcome (Chestang, 1972; Chimezie, 1975) and some ethnic groups (i.e., Native Americans and The National Association of Black Social Workers) have discouraged the practice of transracial adoption. In an attempt to clarify such issues surrounding transracial adoption, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of adoption on adult Korean adoptees.This study examined whether acculturation, assimilation, cultural identity, age of placement of Korean adoptees, and revisiting Korea play a role in self-concept. In addition, this study wanted to look at whether the positive initial adjustment found in Kim's (1977; 1978) studies continued into adulthood for Korean adoptees. Adjustment was based upon self-concept. The results from this study indicated that acculturation, assimilation, cultural identity, placement of Korean adoptees, and revisit of Korea had little influence in self-concept. As noted, the results indicated that: 1) acculturation was only related to Verbal self-concept; 2) revisiting Korea did not predict self-concept; however, cultural identity did play an important part in self concept; 3) age of placement of Korean adoptees related only to Verbal, Math, and Honesty self-concept; and 4) in general, positive adjustment based upon self-concept appeared to continue into adulthood for Korean adoptees.In summary, adjustment for Korean adoptees appeared to continue into adulthood. In addition, cultural identity appeared not to relate to Korean adoptees' self-concept. However, as noted, there needs to be further studies due to the limitations of this study, particularly the measurements. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, 2008. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed May 13, 2008). Includes abstract. "Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Brite Divinity School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: B, page: 4159. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-195).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisors: Mary Jean Pfaelzer and Peter X. Feng, Dept. of English. Includes bibliographical references.

M.A. / Transracial Adoption (TRA) was legalised in South Africa in June 1991. TRA is a controversial issue all over the world. In the United Kingdom and United States there has been extensive research on TRA related to many different aspects of it, rendering a variety of conflicting results. Little research has been conducted around TRA in South Africa to date. This study was undertaken to research the relatively new phenomenon of TRA in South Africa. The study was based on literature and research from overseas, to identify how TRA in South Africa compares. The respondents of the study were parents who have adopted transracially and social workers who have been involved in TRA. A hybrid of exploratory and descriptive study was conducted. Fourteen parents and twenty-one social workers responded to the questionnaires. The primary limitation being the small sample of respondents, however, due to the population size being small this sample could be representative. The results showed that people involved in TRA in South Africa are aware of, and concerned about, very similar issues as those raised overseas. As TRA in South Africa is still in its teething phase, valuable results emerged about how to go about TRA, so as to make it most effective for all parties concerned. Preparation for TRA, racial identity issues and recommendations for further research were discussed according to results from the study.

Intercountry adoption Abstract The theme of this masters thesis is legal regulation of intercountry adoption. This area of law is current and very severe, because it results in permanent status change for number of people, when one of them is a child, for which it is necessary to provide special protection. Although intercountry adoption can be in certain cases the best solution for particular child, this type of child care brings many risks, for example intercountry abduction or child trafficking. Due to these reasons, it is necessary to correctly to set rules for realisation of intercountry adoption to minimalise these risks, follow the best interest of the child and at the same time to apply this type of child care in a subsidiary way, therefore in case there is not possible to find appropriate family for certain child in its state of origin. The goal of my masters thesis is complex introduction of legal matters of intercountry adoption. The thesis is divided into five chapters, which are further divided into subsections. The first chapter focuses on development of adoption in general, its development from roman law roots to its current regulation in the civil code. Next chapter aims to the historical development of the intercountry adoption and causes for its expansion. Further there are analysed...

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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Multicultural adoption became a reality in South Africa in 1994, after the abolition of the apartheid legislation. This is therefore a relatively new and unfamiliar terrain for those social workers that specialise in adoption. A gap was identified with regard to a sufficient theoretical foundation and the absence of guidelines regarding this phenomenon in South Africa. This study was undertaken in an attempt to address this shortcoming and in order to gain more direction and clarity regarding multicultural adoption. Through a literature study an attempt was made to determine how legislation on adoption in South Africa is interpreted as well as to establish the role played by the social worker during adoption. A historical overview of adoption in South Africa is discussed as well as the current legislation that relates to multicultural adoption. With reference to the purpose of the research, the literature study also focused on a practice perspective, multicultural intervention and theories that are applicable. Furthermore the profile of parents that adopt children of another culture and the motives surrounding this, were examined during the literature study. An exploratory study was undertaken to establish the needs of parents who adopt children of another culture as well as to determine the cultural skills that social workers require in order to successfully facilitate multicultural adoptions. The ultimate purpose of the study was to formulate guidelines for social workers for multicultural adoptions. The empirical study was aimed at parents that have already adopted children of another culture and was limited to the Western Cape. The results of the empirical study confirmed the researcher's supposition that social workers should master multicultural skills in order to successfully facilitate multicultural adoptions and that a cultural awareness is imperative. Based on the study and the results, recommendations for a policy framework with regard to multicultural adoptions was formulated and guidelines and proposals for the implementation of multicultural intervention and adoption were laid down. The recommendations of this study can be used by all social workers and parents that are involved in multicultural adoptions and also by other welfare organisations and social workers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Multikulturele aanneming het in 1994, na die afskaffing van apartheidswetgewing, 'n werklikheid in Suid-Afrika geword. Hierdie is dus 'n redelik nuwe en onbekende terrein vir maatskaplike werkers wat in aanneming spesialiseer. 'n Leemte ten opsigte van voldoende teoretiese fundering en afwesigheid van riglyne rakende hierdie verskynsel in Suid-Afrika, is geïdentifiseer. In 'n poging om hierdie leemte aan te spreek en meer rigting en duidelikheid oor multikulturele aanneming te verkry, is hierdie ondersoek onderneem. Met die literatuurstudie is gepoog om die interpretering van wetgewing oor aanneming in Suid-Afrika te bepaal en ook die rol wat die maatskaplike werker tydens aanneming speel, vas te stel. 'n Historiese oorsig van aanneming in Suid-Afrika is bespreek en ook die huidige wetgewing wat met multikulturele aanneming verband hou. In aansluiting by die doel van die navorsing is daar ook tydens die literatuurondersoek gefokus op 'n praktykperspektief, multikulturele intervensie en teorieë wat van toepassing is. Voorts is die profiel van ouers wat kinders vanuit 'n ander kultuur aanneem en ook die motiewe daarrondom, tydens die literatuurstudie ondersoek. 'n Verkennende studie is onderneem om die behoeftes van ouers wat kinders vanuit 'n ander kultuur aanneem vas te stel, asook om te bepaal watter vaardighede vir multikulturele-intervensie maatskaplike werkers nodig het om multikulturele aannemings suksesvol te fasiliteer. Die uiteindelike doel van die ondersoek was om riglyne vir maatskaplike werkers tydens multikulturele aannemings te formuleer. Die empiriese ondersoek was op ouers wat reeds kinders vanuit 'n ander kultuur aangeneem het gerig en beperk tot die Wes-Kaap. Die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek bevestig die navorser se aanname dat maatskaplike werkers vaardighede vir multikulturele-intervensie moet bemeester vir die fasilitering van suksesvolle multikulturele aannemings en dat 'n kulturele bewustheid onontbeerlik is. Op grond van die ondersoek en resultate, is aanbevelings vir 'n beleidsraamwerk ten opsigte van multikulturele aanneming geformuleer en riglyne en voorstelle vir sodanige uitvoering van multikulturele intervensie en aanneming neergelê. Die aanbevelings van hierdie ondersoek kan deur maatskaplike werkers en ouers wat betrokke is by multikulturele aannemings en deur ander welsynsorganisasies en maatskaplike werkers gebruik word.

This study explores the childhood experiences and transitions to adulthood of 39 Romanian care leavers and adoptees, born around 1989 - 1990. In the past, Romania's children in care became known to the world as 'the Romanian orphans' and some of them have been subjects to neurodevelopmental research studies focusing on the setbacks posed by institutionalisation in early life. This research project takes a different angle by: • Using life history approach and therefore capturing the participants' in-depth accounts of how they recall their childhoods and the challenges they encountered in their transition to independent life; • Exploring four different types of placements and how they affect transition to independent life, from a user's perspective. The fact that Romania undertook reform of the child protection system within the timespan of this generation of children provided a research opportunity to collect the users' views on different types of placement that belonged to the unreformed system of the 1990s (large residential care and intercountry adoption) and the new types of placement (small group homes and foster care). For comparison purposes, I also included domestic adoption, a type of placement that was less controversial than the others at the time reforms were being introduced. Thus, the types of placement that are analysed through the research participants' accounts are: • Residential care (institutions and small group homes); • Foster Care; • Domestic Adoption; • Intercountry adoption. The study addressed two research questions: 1. How do Romanian born young people who grew up in care understand and narrate their experiences in different types of placement? 2. What narratives of agency are constructed by Romanian-born adults who grew up in different types of placement when they describe their transition to adulthood? By taking an interpretive stance, this study brings in the academic arena the voices of care leavers and adoptees. By using narrative analysis and focussing on the concept of dignity by employing identity theories, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Capabilities Approach, the study makes an important contribution to knowledge, with implications for further research, policy and practice. While interventions in child protection are influenced in each country by cultural, political and socio-legal factors, understanding the basic needs of children who are not raised by their birth families is important across different child protection systems. Therefore, the relevance of the research findings is not limited to Romania.

Les opérateurs de l’adoption internationale en France, c’est-à- dire les Organismes Autorisés pour l’Adoption (OAA) et l’AFA (Agence Française de l’adoption), occupent une place majeure dans le processus de l’adoption internationale. Ils détiennent le pouvoir de donner à un enfant une famille, ils sont des « faiseurs de parentés ». Les mutations de l’adoption internationale confortent l’importance de leur rôle tant dans leur responsabilité à choisir les postulants que dans leur légitimité à les accompagner tout au long de la procédure. Dans un contexte de déclin l’espace dans lequel évoluent les opérateurs, en interaction avec les différents acteurs de l’adoption internationale, devient de plus en plus concurrentiel alors que l’intérêt de l’enfant demeure le but affirmé par tous. À l’interface entre pays d’accueil et pays d’origine, entre postulants à l’adoption et enfants adoptés, les opérateurs sont pris de fait entre les logiques propres à chaque catégorie d’acteurs en présence dans un champ politique et social en constante mutation. Leur système de fonctionnement fait donc l’objet de questionnements notamment sur leurs capacités à s’adapter. Ces réflexions conduisent à s’interroger sur l’efficience des opérateurs, à redéfinir leur rôle et leur place dans leur mission d’accompagnement des adoptants et des adoptés, à réaffirmer leur responsabilité. / The accredited bodies of international adoption in France, that means Authorized Organizations for Adoption (AOA) and FAA (French Agency for Adoption) occupy a prominent place in the international adoption process. They hold the power to give to a child a family. To this end, they are “relationsmakers”. The mutations of the international adoption emphasize their place concerning their responsibility to choose applicants and their legitimate to accompany them throughout the procedure.In the context of international adoption’s decline, the space in which accredited bodies, in interaction with the different actors of the international adoption, becomes more competitive even if the stated purpose and defended by all is the best interest. Between host countries and countries of origin and between applicants and adopted children, the accredited bodies are confronted to appropriate logics for each actor who are in political field and social field which are inconstant change. Their operating system is subjected to questioning including their ability to adapt. These thoughts led to wonder about the accredited bodies’ effectiveness to redefine their role and place in thei rmonitoring mission for adopters and adopted and more specifically their responsibility.