Katarina von Greiff
Adopted persons from Latin America : Their conceptions of the conditions during their childhood and adolescence, of their situation in life, and of Sweden as a socialization culture. – Stockholm : Stockholms Universitet, 2000.- 258 s.Abstract :
The intention of this dissertation is to provide a clarification of the life setting of adopted persons in Sweden. Four sub-studies have been made in an effort to capture some of the perspectives, implications and qualities of what being an adopted person from abroad can involve in terms of life in Sweden.
One study deals with perceptions of adoptions which are reflected in the journal of Adoption Centre in Sweden, Att adoptera, over three decades. Nine qualitatively implemented interviews with people working on adoption issues in Colombia have been completed in order to capture some perceptions of adoptions in a contributing country.
In addition, two interview studies have been completed with adopted persons from abroad, one involving twelve adopted young adults originally from Colombia, and the other with a group of nine adopted young people from abroad who originally come from Latin America, and who are in public care.
The purpose of carrying out two studies on adopted persons, who live under varying conditions, is to gain knowledge of what is involved in being adopted and changing cultures.
The results presents a complex picture of what adoption involves; most of the young people provide accounts of periods of searching in order to understand and relate to their special frames of reference.
A surprising feature of the material was that the age of individuals on arriving in Sweden was not a significant factor with regard to how the young people were socialized into Swedish society. Their ethnic identity is complex. We know that the young people were exposed to early separations.
Most of those who are now in institutional care have also previously been exposed to many different placements in Sweden, which means that some of the young people feel that they are no longer emotionally in touch with their adoptive parents.
The entire Swedish adoption debate is characterised by the "searching for your roots theme". This study shows that this "searching" should by dealt with very cautiously. Some of the adopted persons from abroad describe how they have been exposed to discriminatory special treatment. The adopted persons experiences and accounts indicate both opportunities and difficulties with regard to socialisation into Swedish society.
Key words :
International adoption, Socialization conditions, Culture, Developmental Tasks, Meaning, Affordances, Points of reference.
ISBN 91-7265-138-5