Transracial Adoptions Essay Example

Thesis: Transracial adoptees family situation affects many aspects of the adopted child's life, do these children have identity formation difficulties during adolescence and are there any significant differences between adoptees and birth children?

Transracial Adoptees and Families I. Attachment Issues
A. Trust versus Mistrust
B. Age of child at time of placement
C. Need of Attachment

II. Development Issues
A. Identity versus Role Confusion
B. Age of child at time of placement
C. Need of Attachment

III. Identity Issues
A. Forming an Identity
B. Biological Birth Information
C. Racial Identification
D. Adoptive Parent Information

Applin I

"Adoption and Identity"

Being introduced into a new family is only one of many obstacles that lies ahead for those who enter into transracial adoption. With all of the information that is out there would adoptive parents advise others to pursue a transracial adoption? (Simon, 3). Do children who are adopted lose their social and racial identity, their racial attitudes, and their sense of awareness about racial issues? Transracial adoption have supporters and non-supporters with feelings that parent-child relationships work best between biological "likes", and fears that adoptive parents are not able to love and nurture biological "unlikes" (Simon, 1). There has been a great deal of research conducted about adoptees and the problems they face with identity formation. Many researchers agree on some of the causes of identity formation problems in adolescent adoptees, but others have concluded that there is not a significant difference in identity formation in adoptees and birth children. The following paper will bring out some of the research findings, which have been conducted, and will then attempt to answer the following questions: Do adoptees have identity formation