This study aims to understand the experience of a non-White family trying to adopt a
transracial child. ‘Transracial adoption’ is defined as a family adopting a child from a different
race than theirs. My overarching focus is on how society comes to understand transracial
adoption as a one-way transfer of minority children into White families, however, when the roles
are reversed there is a lack of acceptance for minority families adopting transracially –
specifically, when the adoptive child is White.
The purpose of my study is to share my mine and mother’s life experience of
fostering, social workers, child welfare and adoption so that minorities who are looking to adopt
transracially may use mine and/or my mother’s life experience to help guide their adoption
process if they feel they are being discriminated against. This study will also explore
motivations, values, ethics and possible biases regarding transracial adoptions. Highlighting the
contradictions that exist in transracial adoption practices I will use my own research as a
platform for awareness of how social work practice can influence the lives of minorities who
would like to adopt transracially, and for the need at both a macro and micro to create clearer
transracial adoption policies for minority and White families. / Thesis / Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/25987 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Patel, Habiba |
| Contributors | Fudge Schormans, Ann, Social Work |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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