Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Adoption Victoria Psychological aspects'

This thesis deals with the loss experienced by all participants in adoption, especially during the period 1950 to 1980 and with particular, but not exclusive, reference to the birth mother and her child. The work is in two parts, the first being a contemporary novel, 'Heartlines', written in the form of a fictional memoir from the point of view of a woman in her early forties who suddenly is confronted with the daughter she relinquished twenty years previously, and whose existence she has kept secret from her husband. The novel deals with the difficult relationship that develops between mother ann daughter and the adjustments the main character must make in her realisation that the young woman who has come back into her life is not the person she had imagined her to be during the years since she was forced to give her up for adoption. Part Two is an essay that puts into context the cultural background of the period studied, the stigmatisation of women who bore ex-nuptial children and how the society in which they lived left them few options other than to abandon their infants to strangers. It deals with the consequences for young women following a lapse of judgement that would have repercussions for the rest of their lives. Many of the women who relinquished babies during the period are believed to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their experience, and remained in an ongoing state of pathological grief.

Few efforts have been made to understand the subjective experiences of birthparents involved in the child welfare system, especially of those who have had their parental rights permanently removed. The research undertaken seeks an initial investigation of this neglected issue, providing accounts of four birthmothers' experiences of having one or more of their children involuntarily and permanently removed from their care as a result of child neglect. Implicit in this research is the assumption that these mothers do indeed suffer tremendous grief over the loss of their children, regardless of child welfare agencies' assessments of their parenting capacities. Furthermore, the research critically evaluates how child welfare practice and policy might serve to exacerbate incumbent issues of loss, ultimately disenfranchising this already isolated and stigmatized population. Therefore, this qualitative study endeavours to assist not only child protection workers, but also the greater community in better understanding what it is like to be a "child welfare parent" who has had her parental rights terminated, and to be aware of the existing imbalance of power between child welfare agencies and the clientele they serve. The study ultimately aims to help ensure that human dignity and genuine respect are not lost in the work of child protection.

The intent of this study was to gain an appreciation for the experiences of mothers whose parental rights have been permanently severed through child welfare court orders of Crown Wardship with No Access. The study utilized an explorative, qualitative design approach and included semi-structured, in-depth interviews with four women. Participant text and found poetry presented the voice of mothers, something not often the focus in the child welfare literature. Themes of betrayal, loss, anger, and disenfranchised grief were reported in the research findings. The role of the social worker emerged as an important factor influencing the mothers. This study found that mothers need acknowledgment for their losses and support for their grief. Consideration for social work implications and further research are also discussed.

A desire to more fully understand the impact of altered states of spiritual health on the general health of patients has been a focus of recent research activity. Studies have explored the meaning of spirituality held by patients and nurses, the spiritual needs of patients, and methods of providing spiritual care in nursing. However, few studies have investigated nurses’ own spiritual health and the significance this may have on the provision of holistic nursing care. The aim of this study, therefore, was to inform nursing regarding the spiritual health of nurses and the influence that nurses’ own spiritual health has on their ability to provide holistic nursing care to their patients. The study was conducted in two phases using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Phase one consisted of a survey of Division 1 nurses currently employed in the Grampians region of Victoria to describe key dimensions of their spiritual health. This survey provided biographical data and, through the use of the “Shalom Measure of Spiritual Health”, discovered the ideal of spiritual health held by nurses as well as the nurses’ perception of patient needs pertaining to the achievement of spiritual health. Phase two utilised Naturalistic Inquiry to further explore the meaning of spirituality and spiritual health held by nurses, and the methods of achieving these for nurses and patients. The findings revealed that although nurses perceive the spiritual dimension of patient care to be important, they feel ill-equipped to provide this aspect of care. In addition, the major support for nurses, who themselves experience spiritual distress whilst at work, comes from colleagues. Further, prevailing health care systems in place do not always lend themselves to holistic approaches to care. This study identifies the need for nurse education to redress the clearly inadequate preparation nurses are given for this aspect of their role. Health care policy-makers and administrators also have a responsibility to consider all dimensions of care when designing and implementing health care guidelines and systems.
Master of Nursing

A desire to more fully understand the impact of altered states of spiritual health on the general health of patients has been a focus of recent research activity. Studies have explored the meaning of spirituality held by patients and nurses, the spiritual needs of patients, and methods of providing spiritual care in nursing. However, few studies have investigated nurses’ own spiritual health and the significance this may have on the provision of holistic nursing care. The aim of this study, therefore, was to inform nursing regarding the spiritual health of nurses and the influence that nurses’ own spiritual health has on their ability to provide holistic nursing care to their patients. The study was conducted in two phases using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Phase one consisted of a survey of Division 1 nurses currently employed in the Grampians region of Victoria to describe key dimensions of their spiritual health. This survey provided biographical data and, through the use of the “Shalom Measure of Spiritual Health”, discovered the ideal of spiritual health held by nurses as well as the nurses’ perception of patient needs pertaining to the achievement of spiritual health. Phase two utilised Naturalistic Inquiry to further explore the meaning of spirituality and spiritual health held by nurses, and the methods of achieving these for nurses and patients. The findings revealed that although nurses perceive the spiritual dimension of patient care to be important, they feel ill-equipped to provide this aspect of care. In addition, the major support for nurses, who themselves experience spiritual distress whilst at work, comes from colleagues. Further, prevailing health care systems in place do not always lend themselves to holistic approaches to care. This study identifies the need for nurse education to redress the clearly inadequate preparation nurses are given for this aspect of their role. Health care policy-makers and administrators also have a responsibility to consider all dimensions of care when designing and implementing health care guidelines and systems.
Master of Nursing

A entrada da mulher no mercado de trabalho cada vez mais freqüente; o incremento de novas configurações familiares diferentes da família nuclear intacta; o fortalecimento das relações horizontais são alguns dos fenômenos sociais da contemporaneidade que chamam a atenção para uma forma duradoura de relacionar-se dentro do sistema familiar, que constitui a fratria. Por outro lado, um tema bastante atual, que mobiliza a atenção de vários segmentos sociais, é a adoção. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar as relações estabelecidas entre os componentes do subsistema fraterno, tenham elas sido constituídas de forma biológico adotiva ou exclusivamente por adoção. Participaram 16 pessoas, divididas entre pré-adolescentes, jovens e adultos, de ambos os sexos, com idade a partir dos dez anos, que responderam a uma entrevista semidirigida focada na chegada do irmão adotivo na família. A entrevista foi transcrita e teve seus conteúdos organizados por temas. No grupo de pré-adolescentes percebemos que as meninas demonstraram mais capacidade de acolhimento e propensão ao cuidado. As fratrias constituídas unicamente por adoção, em geral, apresentaram menos conflitos que as biológico-adotivas. Observamos também, nas duas formas de constituição de fratria, a presença de sentimentos de mútua responsabilidade e cuidado entre os irmãos, em que pese referências a momentos de ciúme, conflitos e competição. Esperamos que profissionais e organizações que lidam com a temática da adoção usufruam desta pesquisa, bem como profissionais que trabalham com crianças, adolescentes e famílias. Outrossim, esperamos que ela possa contribuir para a remissão de alguns mitos que cercam a adoção, apontando para uma maior sensibilização social de que esta é uma possibilidade de construção de vínculos familiares tão saudáveis quanto os biológicos
The entry of women into the market much more frequent; the development of new family configurations different from intact nuclear family; the strengthening of horizontal relationships are some of the contemporary social phenomena that focus on a lasting basis to relate to within of the family system, which is the fratrias. Furthermore, a very current issue, which attracts the attention of various social groups, is the adoption. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between the constituents in the fraternity, have they been established in biological or adoptive only by adoption. Sixteen people participated, divided between children, pre-adolescents and young adults of both sexes, aged from ten years, which responded to an interview focused on the arrival of the adoptive brother in the family. The interview was transcribed and their content was organized by themes. In the group of children and preadolescent we found that girls have most reception capacity and willingness to care. The fratrias consist solely of adoption had less conflicts then biological-adoptive. We also observed that in two ways to set up fratrias, the presence of feelings of mutual responsibility and care between brothers, in spite of references to moments of jealousy, conflict and competition. We hope that professionals and organizations which dealing with the issue of adoption could be benefited of this research data as well as professionals that work with children, adolescents and families. Also, we hope that it can contribute to the remission of some myths surrounding the adoption, pointing to a greater social awareness that it is a possibility of construction of family as healthy as the organic

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo refletir sobre o luto do filho biológico, como aspecto importante subjacente às demandas por adoção, quando esta ocorre devido à infertilidade. Utilizaram-se para análise os depoimentos de mulheres registradas no livro Maternidade Interrompida. O livro é composto por 40 depoimentos de mulheres que vivenciaram a perda gestacional.Tem como organizadora Maria Manuela Ponte e foi publicado pela Associação Projecto Artémis. Verificou-se o luto presente na infertilidade e como, muitas vezes, não é vivenciado. Observou-se a importância de se estudar sobre esse momento de dor e perda, para que, se o casal resolver entrar no processo de adoção, seja bem sucedido.O trabalho foi pensado e estruturado com quatro capítulos. No primeiro capítulo, foi apresentado o relato de cada uma das mulheres estudadas. No segundo capítulo, refletimos sobre o desejo de ter um filho e os sentimentos experimentados pelo fato de não conseguir concluir a gestação e suas implicações. No terceiro capítulo, falou-se sobre o momento de luto vivenciado pelas mulheres estudadas e a visão de alguns autores sobre essa temática. O quarto e último apresenta as feridas narcísicas que surgem com a infertilidade e como se dá a restauração narcísica após a não concepção e como esse caminho, muitas vezes, pode levar à adoção.
This work aimed to reflect on the biological son mourning as important underlying aspect to demands for adoption, when this occurs due to infertility. Was used to analyze womens testimonies recorded in the book Motherhood Interrupted. The book consists of 40 statements from women who experienced pregnancy loss, is organizing Maria Manuela Bridge and this book published by the Association Project Artemis. There was mourning present in infertility and how often one is not experienced. Noted the importance of studying this time of grief and loss, so that if the couple settle into the adoption process to be successful. The work was conceived and structured with four chapters. In the first chapter was presented the story of each of the women studied. In the second chapter we reflect on the desire to have a child and the feelings experienced by not being fertile and its implications. In the third chapter was about the time of grief experienced by women studied and the view of some authors on the subject. The fourth and final presented to the narcissistic wounds that come with infertility and as of the narcissistic restoration after conception and not like the way can often lead to adoption.

Do ponto de vista psicológico, nem sempre a adoção configura-se como uma solução para o problema do abandono. Muitas vezes, a adoção resulta em um fracasso, comprometendo o desenvolvimento saudável da criança e causando um mal estar e infelicidade que acometerá a todos envolvidos nesse processo. Vários são os fatores responsáveis por tal fracasso. Um dos mais identificados na clínica é a falha ou inexistência do estabelecimento de vínculo de filiação entre pais e filhos adotivos. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo é refletir sobre os impasses e fatores que dificultam e/ou impedem a formação do vínculo na filiação adotiva. Trata-se de uma pesquisa teórica na qual discutimos a noção de vínculo em autores de diferentes correntes: francesa, americana e argentina. Em seguida problematizamos a formação do vínculo na adoção, considerando os fatores que dificultam ou impedem a formão desse vínculo. Apresentamos algumas vinhetas clínicas no sentido de contextualizar os impasses vividos quando o desejo de adotar não está associado ao de ter filho. Vimos que o valor atribuído ao vínculo de sangue, as expectativas inadequadas em torno da nova constituição familiar através da adoção, os mitos e fantasias e a não elaboração dos lutos anteriores estão entre os fatores que dificultam ou impedem a formação vincular entre pais e filhos adotivos. O desejo de um filho pelos candidatos à adoção e o desejo das crianças de serem filiadas são essenciais na constituição do vínculo
Desde el punto de vista psicológico, la adopción no siempre aparece como una solución para el problema del abandono. A menudo, los resultados de la adopción en un fracaso, poniendo en peligro el desarrollo saludable de los niños y que causa malestar y la infelicidad que relámpago a todos los involucrados en este proceso. Son varios los factores responsables de este fracaso. Uno de los más señalados en la clínica es la insuficiencia o la falta de unión entre los padres de miembros y los niños adoptados. El objetivo de este estudio es reflexionar sobre los dilemas y los factores que obstaculizan y / o prevenir la formación de enlaces en la filiación adoptiva. Se trata de una investigación teórica en la que debatir el concepto de autores de diferentes corrientes empate: francesas, estadounidenses y argentinos. Luego problematizar la formación del enlace en la adopción, teniendo en cuenta los factores que dificultan o impiden el cincel de este enlace. Hemos visto que el valor asignado a los lazos de sangre, las expectativas inadecuadas sobre la nueva Constitución mediante la adopción de la familia, los mitos y las fantasías y la ausencia de duelos anteriores se encuentran entre los factores que dificultan o impiden el vínculo entre la formación de los padres y los niños adoptados. El deseo de un niño por los candidatos para la adopción y el deseo infantil de ser afiliado son esenciales en la creación de la relación

"The influx of children adopted into the United States from other countries has increased the need for social workers experienced in practice techniques that asssist in building rapport between the parents and children in these newly formed families. This study explored the use of employing the kinetic family drawing as a tool to build rapport between parents and children. This was an exploratory multiple case design. Six families participated in the process of drawing a picture of their family engaged in an activity together. It was anticipated that the drawings would be an effective tool to build rapport between parent and child."

No contexto da situação adotiva de crianças maiores há um confronto entre passado e presente, são histórias que se cruzam e se fundam a partir de um novo encontro. Desse modo, destacamos a importância de se considerar essa dinâmica e os efeitos decorrentes dos antigos laços na construção da nova filiação adotiva. Partindo dessa perspectiva, realizamos um estudo de meta-análise do trabalho de dissertação sobre: O processo de Tornar-se Pai, Mãe e Filhos na Adoção de Crianças Maiores. Com base nos depoimentos coletados no decorrer do período da destituição judicial e do acompanhamento do estágio de convivência, pudemos reconstruir parte da história das crianças, da família adotante, e realizar uma análise clínica pelo viés psicanalítico. O presente estudo evidenciou que as antigas imagos parentais e as marcas da história anterior não cessam de se (re)inscrever, e que as situações angustiantes do passado das crianças em processo de adoção desencadeiam defesas e interferem nos novos laços afetivos, ressaltando a necessidade de se considerar a vida anterior da criança em adoção. Revelou ainda, a importância que deve ser conferida ao estágio de convivência, visto que, a construção da nova filiação tem seu início nesse período.
The adoption context of older children faces confrontation between past and present. It is made of stories that intersect and merge into the new gathering. Thereby, we highlight the importance of considering such dynamics and the resulting effects from old bonds on the new adoptive filiation construction. From this perspective, we have done a meta-analysis study of the dissertation The Process of Becoming a Father, a Mother, and Children in the Adoption of Older Children. Based on accounts collected along the judicial dismissal period and in the adjustment period follow up, we were able to reconstruct part of the childrens and the adoptive families stories and, then, conduct a clinical analysis from a psychoanalytical bias. The present study has demonstrated that the old parental imagos and the marks from the previous story never cease to re-inscribe themselves. It has also been shown that distressing situations from the prospective adopted childrens past trigger defenses and interfere in the new affective bonds. This study has pointed out the need to consider the prospective adopted childs previous life and also the importance of the adjustment period, since the new filiation construction has its start during this time.

This study attempted to identifj and explore the role the building plays in the organisation culture of nursing homes. To do this a research plan was formulated in which the central plank was a case-study of a seventy-five bed high care nursing home. As part of the case-study, interviews were conducted at the nursing home with ten members of staff, two residents and a daughter of a resident. The study was also informed by interviews with two architects, who specialise in the design of nursing homes and aged care facilities. A theoretical model entitled the 'Conceptual Framework' was developed prior to the case-study. It was tested by applying it to findings related to the physical context and the organisation culture of the case-study venue. The hypothesis that the building does influence the culture of the nursing home environment was explored by studying the manner in which the building influenced the lives of those who work in the nursing home and those who live there. This challenge was met with the use of theoretical contributions from organisation theory and psychodynamics, which together provided a vehicle for analysis of the culture and the building's role in it.

Este trabalho visou compreender as motivações e os sentimentos que estão subjacentes ao discurso da mãe biológica que doa o filho, bem como as repercussões desse ato em suas vidas. Atendimentos psicológicos a essas mães, ainda na maternidade, por vezes, revelam uma racionalização de tal motivação, deixando implícito algo que se supõe ser da ordem do desejo. Foram entrevistadas seis mães na faixa etária entre 22 a 40 anos, com escolaridade e nível sócio-econômico baixos e que doaram, no mínimo, 2 filhos. As idades das crianças doadas variaram de 0 a 3 anos. Foi realizada uma entrevista semi-estruturada com cada mãe compreendendo dados sócio-demográficos e questões que atendem aos objetivos da pesquisa. Foram analisados os conteúdos verbais e não-verbais do discurso das genitoras sob uma perspectiva psicanalítica, buscando identificar as possíveis motivações e os sentimentos relacionados ao ato de doar o filho. Constataram-se as condições de pobreza material e emocional que permeiam as vidas dessas mães, impedindo-as de terem um desenvolvimento emocional equilibrado que lhes possibilitem maternar. Elas tiveram uma infância marcada por privações, violências, carências, incompreensões e abandono. O contexto econômico e familiar vivenciado no momento da gestação era desfavorável ao equilíbrio psíquico, somado ainda à gravidez prematura. Em relação aos motivos que favoreceram a doação, encontrou-se a imaturidade como causa principal aliada à falta de apoio familiar e do pai da criança somados as dificuldades sócio-econômicas. Quanto aos sentimentos experimentados por elas após a doação, identificou-se culpa, tristeza, angústia, pesar e arrependimento. Foram percebidos sentimentos de incapacidade e insuficiência como também motivadores inconscientes para a doação. No que se refere às repercussões da doação na vida dessas mães, constatou-se que mesmo tendo vislumbrado um recomeço após a doação, todas se mostraram amarguradas, cansadas, insatisfeitas e infelizes. A conclusão a qual se chegou com este estudo, é que a motivação do ato de doar um filho é contextualizada e individual, dependendo de fatores sociais, porém, muito mais, dos intrapsíquicos. É um assunto complexo, impossível de ser generalizado. Há que se observar as peculiaridades de cada caso e os fatores a eles subjacentes.
This work aimed at understanding the motives and feelings that underlie the speech of biological mothers who give away their children as well as the consequences of such act in their lives. Psychological attendance to those mothers, still in the maternity ward, reveal a rationalization of such a motive, making it implicit something supposed to belong to the area of desire. Six mothers between the ages of 22 and 40 years old were interviewed. They presented low education and low social-economic levels and gave away two children at least. Children ages varied between 0 to 3 years old. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each mother comprehending social-demographic data and questions that met the objectives of this research. Verbal and non-verbal contents of genitors discourse under a psychoanalyst perspective were analyzed with the aim of identifying possible motives and feelings related to the act of giving away a child. It was verified that the mothers presented poor material and emotional conditions that permeate their lives hindering them from having a balanced emotional development that would enable them to be mothers. Their childhood was characterized by hardships, violence, needs, incomprehension and abandonment. Their social-economic and family context during pregnancy was unfavorable to a psychological balance, adding to that premature pregnancy. It was found that the main cause for giving away a child was immaturity together with the lack of family support and absence of the childs father as well as social-economic difficulties. The feelings experienced by the mother after giving away their children, are guilty, sadness, anguish, grief and repentance. Feelings of insufficiency or incapacity were also found to be unconscious motivators to the act of giving away. In relation to the impact of the act of giving away in the mothers lives, it was found that even after wondering about re-starting a new life after giving away a child, all of them appeared to be bitter, tired, dissatisfied and unhappy. It is concluded with this work that the motives for giving away a child is contextual and individual depending on social factors and much more on intra-psychological factors. It is a complex subject, impossible to be generalized. The particularity of each case should be carefully studied as well as the factors underlying them.

Life story methods were used to explore the contextual factors that influenced the experiences and identity formation of seven Native American adults who were transracially adopted prior to the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. These methods provided a deeper understanding of how these individuals have integrated their adoption experiences into their evolving sense of self. The life story methodology offered a way to acknowledge and validate participants' life experiences and allowed for the collection of rich information from the perspectives of the adoptees. The life story interviews were structured to gather information on the influence of one's adoptive family and cultural, social, and educational experiences on participants' developing sense of self. Even though an interview guide was developed for use in the study, each story uniquely unfolded in a manner the participant was comfortable sharing. The study examined the life stories for patterns or emerging themes related to identity development at different points in the narrators' life cycles in order to develop an aggregate account of the contextual factors influencing identity formation as well as a collective understanding of sense of self. The study identified 12 contextual factors that have both positively and negatively influenced identity development among the participants throughout their lifespan. These factors are: (1) adoptive family; (2) community; (3) educational experiences; (4) religion/spirituality; (5) travel; (6) exposure to cultural experiences; (7) employment; (8) friendships; (9) peer groups; (10) military; (11) societal messages, and (12) reconnection to tribal heritage. Overall, findings from this study suggest that the majority of participants have developed strong Native American, multi-cultural, and/or bi-cultural identities that incorporate their various experiences as transracial adoptees. Practice considerations for transracial adoptees as well as adoptive parents are suggested. Policy implications relating to granting access to original birth and/or adoption related records are presented. Finally, future research recommendations are offered specific to Native American transracial adoptees, their biological families, and tribal communities from which they adopted. While the practice, policy, and research recommendations are specific to Native American transracial adoptees, the recommendations may have broader implications to a wider population of adoptees in general.

O tema adoção está em debate, atualmente, tanto na mídia (reportagens, depoimentos, novelas, filmes), na academia (monografias, dissertações, teses, livros, eventos científicos), como na sociedade (promulgação de leis, formação de grupos de apoio e uma associação nacional desses grupos). Esforços têm sido feitos para difundir uma nova cultura da adoção em que se priorizem as necessidades e os direitos da criança. Entre estes se encontra o de saber sobre sua origem. A adoção tem como um dos fundamentos a ideia de que a integração de uma criança a uma nova família abre-lhe possibilidades para a reconstrução de sua identidade, a partir do conhecimento de sua origem, favorecendo, consequentemente, uma interação familiar mais satisfatória. Sua colocação em um novo lar pressupõe o estabelecimento de inéditas redes de relações, as quais irão necessitar de diversos componentes emocionais a serem dispensados à criança, como: amor, carinho, atenção, comprometimento e respeito diante de sua história pregressa. A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo geral identificar, na perspectiva de filhos adotivos adultos, as reações e as mudanças ocorridas na sua vida após o conhecimento de sua origem. Especificamente almeja-se compreender: como se deu esse conhecimento; sua importância na organização da identidade do(a) filho(a) adotivo(a); como esses filhos passaram a perceber seus pais adotivos bem como a si mesmos; como se posicionam frente a mitos, medos, crenças e preconceitos que permeiam o imaginário social. Para alcançar os objetivos propostos optou-se pela metodologia qualitativa. Foram entrevistados oito adultos, de ambos os sexos, que tinham conhecimento de sua origem, e os dados obtidos foram analisados com base na técnica da análise de conteúdo temática. Os resultados indicam que: 1) embora tenha variado a idade em que tomaram conhecimento de sua origem, os participantes consideram fundamental esse conhecimento e propõem que toda criança adotada tenha esse direito; 2) as motivações para a entrega da criança variaram, predominando as dificuldades financeiras; 3) existem diferenças nas reações entre aqueles que souberam de sua condição desde cedo e os que souberam na adolescência ou vida adulta; 4) apesar das perdas sofridas, a maioria se mostrou satisfeita com a família adotiva, demonstrando sentimentos de afeto, gratidão e reconhecimento de sua importância para sua sobrevivência e formação da sua personalidade; 5) todos se posicionaram contra os preconceitos e mitos que perpassam a condição de filho(a) adotivo(a). Espera-se contribuir para dar visibilidade à causa, buscando estimular uma maior conscientização por parte da sociedade para a superação dos mitos e preconceitos que ainda rondam a adoção.
The adoption issue is being debated currently in the media (articles, interviews, novels, movies), colleges (monographs, dissertations, theses, books, scientific events), and society (enactment of laws, formation of support groups and also a national association of these groups). Efforts have been made to spread a new culture of adoption, which prioritizes childrens rights and needs. Among these, first of all, the right to know about their origin. Adoption has, as the most important of its principles, childs integration in new families, which gives them the possibility of a new identity reconstruction, once they have the knowledge about their origin, consequently supporting a new pleasant family interaction. Their adaptation in a new place, purpose the establishment of new family bands, which is going to need different and new emotional components: love, affection, attention, commitment and above all of it, respect to their progress history. This research has a general objective: to understand and identify, on adopted adults perspective, if there were changes, and what those changes were, what happened in their lives after that they had knowledge about their origin. Specifically the intention is: to understand how this knowledge was taken, and the importance it has in the adoptees identity organization; to comprehend how adoptees started to perceive their new parents and themselves; what their position when it comes to myths, fears, beliefs and prejudices is, permeating the social imaginary. To achieve the proposed objective, we opted for a qualitative methodology. Eight adults were interviewed, both genders, those who had knowledge about their origin, and the context was analyzed based on the thematic technique of analysis content. Results indicate that: 1) although varied the age that they became aware of their origin, the participants consider essential that knowledge and propose that every adopted child has this right; 2) motivations for child adopting vary, prevailing financial difficulties; 3) there are different reactions between those who early knew their condition and those who got this piece of information when they were teenagers; 4) despite losses, the majority was satisfied with their adoptive family, indicating affection feelings, gratitude and recognition of their importance for survival and formation of their personality; 5) they were against prejudice and myths that pervade the condition of adoptive person; Its expected to contribute, aiming to highlight the issue, seeking to stimulate a greater awareness on the part of society to overcome the myths and prejudices that still roam the adoption.

A questão de encontrar dificuldades com a educação de filhos parece ser universal, entretanto, nas filiações por adoção, muitas vezes, determinados aspectos do processo educativo emergem revestidos de uma magnitude extrapolada. A presente pesquisa, de natureza quantitativa, objetivou identificar as dificuldades percebidas por pais adotivos no processo educativo de filhos por adoção, comparando famílias exclusivamente adotivas e biológico-adotivas, visando a detectar semelhanças e diferenças nos dois perfis familiares. Especificamente, procurou-se investigar as seguintes dimensões: os problemas de comportamento, as dificuldades escolares e as dificuldades dos pais para estabelecer os limites educativos. Os dados coletados resultaram da aplicação de um questionário, com questões abertas e fechadas, a 200 pais adotivos, sendo 100 exclusivamente adotivos e 100 biológico-adotivos. As variáveis sócio-demográficas caracterizaram a maioria dos pais como sendo brancos, casados ou em união estável, com escolaridade superior ou superior incompleta, renda familiar maior do que 9 salários mínimos mensais, orientação religiosa predominantemente católica e tendo entre 31 e 40 anos na primeira adoção. Verificou-se que não existem diferenças significativas entre os dois tipos de família quanto às intercorrências havidas na educação dos filhos adotados; a incidência de problemas de comportamento foi bastante similar nos dois grupos familiares; pais biológico-adotivos apresentaram menos dificuldades no estabelecimento dos limites educativos; filhos de pais exclusivamente adotivos apresentaram menos problemas escolares; constatou-se que não há relação significativa entre as variáveis sócio-demográficas e suas influências no processo educativo dos filhos, excetuando-se que pais biológico-adotivos evangélicos e espíritas apresentaram uma maior tendência a adotar a maior quantidade de filhos; no mesmo grupo familiar, verificou-se que filhos de pais com nível de escolaridade superior tendem a apresentar uma maior incidência de problemas de comportamento e dificuldades escolares. Outros dados relevantes: não foram relatadas diferenças significativas na educação de filhos adotivos e biológicos; não houve diferenças significativas entre os problemas educativos de adoções precoces e tardias, excetuando-se filhos únicos adotados tardiamente que apresentaram uma maior tendência para problemas de comportamento e dificuldades escolares em famílias biológico-adotivas; não houve relação estatística entre a motivação para adoção e dificuldades no processo educativo; as resistências familiares podem intensificar as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos pais; famílias biológico-adotivas estão mais disponíveis para efetuar adoções tardias; identificou-se freqüências similares quanto ao sexo dos filhos adotados; o sexo dos filhos não determinou uma maior incidência de problemas de comportamento nos dois grupos; a idade em que a criança tomou conhecimento de sua condição adotiva não teve relação com os problemas de comportamento, mas teve importância significativa quanto às dificuldades escolares; a maioria dos pais adotivos não creditam os problemas enfrentados à adoção e a maioria dos pais biológico-adotivos acreditam que a educação de filhos biológicos e adotivos tenha sido semelhante. Foi possível concluir que as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos dois grupos familiares são bastante similares, embora tenham que enfrentar desafios diferentes: enquanto os pais exclusivamente adotivos necessitam elaborar os seus conflitos, especialmente, em relação à esterilidade, os pais biológico-adotivos precisam encontrar o ponto de equilíbrio na educação de seus dois tipos de filhos, evitando o excesso de expectativas e a superproteção.
The difficulties related with children education seem to be universal, however, very oftenly, inside the adoptive filiations, some aspects from the educational process emerge reinforced with an extrapolated magnitude significance. This is a quantitative research and its main purpose was to identify the difficulties experienced by adoptive parents during the educational process of adoptive children; our intention was to compare exclusive adoptive parents and biological-adoptive ones aiming to find out similarities and differences between the two family profiles. Specifically, we investigated the following dimensions; behavior problems, school difficulties and parents difficulties in administrating the educational limits. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing open and objective questions and the participants were 200 adoptive parents, being 100 exclusively adoptive and 100 biological-adoptive. The socio-demographical variables characterized the majority of parents as being white-skinned, officially married or in stable union, having complete or incomplete college graduation, perceiving more than 9 brazilian minimum salaries as monthly family income, professing predominantly the Catholic religion and being in the age group from 31 to 40 years old when the first adoption was made. The results indicated that there arent significative differences between the two family types in what concerns to the intercurrencies happened during the educational process of their adopted children; the incidence of behavior problems was quite similar in the two family groups; biological-adoptive parents showed less difficulties in administrating educational limits; children educated by exclusive adoptive parents showed less school difficulties; it was possibly to verify that parents social-demographic variables caused no expressive influence on the children educational course, with exception that evangelical and spiritist biological-adoptive parents showed more tendencies of adopting a bigger number of children; in the same family group, it was possible to verify also that children that have parents with college graduation showed a greater number of behavior problems and school difficulties. Other relevant data: there werent related significative differences in the education of adoptive and biological children; there werent found expressive differences in the educational problems from early (babies) and late adoptions (over 2-3 years old children), with exception of only children from late adoptions in biological-adoptive families that showed a disposition to have a higher rate of behavior problems and difficulties in school; there was no statistic relation between the reasons that justified the adoptions and the difficulties during the educational process; family resistances to the adoption project can intensify the difficulties faced by parents during the educational process; biological-adoptive parents are more open to late adoptions (elder children); the group of children in our study was composed randomly and it showed a same quantity of girls and boys; the gender of children has not determined a bigger number of behavior problems in both groups of families; the age when the child was told about the adoptive condition had no relation with behavior problems, but it had an expressive importance in what concerns to school difficulties; the majority of adoptive parents dont lay the blame for problems faced during childrens education to adoption and the majority of biological-adoptive parents believe that the education of adoptive and biological children is very similar. It follows that the difficulties faced by exclusive adoptive parents and biological-adoptive parents are very similar, although they have different challenges: while exclusive adoptive parents need to elaborate their unconscious conflicts, specially in what concerns to sterility, biological-adoptive parents need to find the equilibrium point in the education of their two types of sons, trying to avoid an excess of expectation and overprotection

Older adopted children and their families often express high need for support for attachment and trauma related concerns. Post-adoption mental health intervention focused on enhancing the parent-child relationship among adoptive parents and adoptees is essential for fostering placement permanency among these families. This single group pilot study explored the effect of Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) for adoptive parents of preadolescents who reported attachment related concerns, stress in the parent-child relationship, and child behavior problems. Participants were 11 adoptive parents ages 25 to 64 (55% male; 91% couples; 100% married; 56% European American, 27% Asian, 9% Hispanic, and 9% Black American) with adoptees between the ages of 8 to 14 (56% male; 56% Hispanic, 33% European American, and 11% Black American). All child participants were adopted out of foster care. Data was collected at baseline, pretest, midtest, and posttest. Results from non-parametric Friedman test of differences across 4 points of measure indicated that CPRT demonstrated statistically significant improvement for the 3 outcome variables: parental empathy, child behavior, and parent child relationship stress. Specifically, results indicated that prior to receiving CPRT (baseline to pretest), parents demonstrated no change or worsening in functioning across all variables, whereas during the intervention phase findings showed a large treatment effect for parental empathy, a medium effect for parenting stress, and a small effect for child behavior problems. Findings from this pilot study support CPRT as a promising mental health intervention for adoptive parents and preadolescent children. Clinical implications and recommendations for working with adoptive parents of preadolescents are explored within the context of these findings.

Este estudo baseou-se no acompanhamento, por parte da pesquisadora como analista judiciária, de quatro casos de adoção de crianças entre quatro e 10 anos de idade, tramitados na Segunda Vara da Infância e Juventude de Recife, ao longo do ano de 2013. Nesses casos, constatamos a dificuldade de os adotandos filiarem-se às mães adotivas, às quais se gerou grande sofrimento, enquanto se aproximaram afetivamente dos pais adotivos sem aparentes percalços. Por tal razão, a fim de contribuir para o trabalho desenvolvido nas adoções de crianças acima de quatro anos (aqui referidos como adoções de criança maior), preparando os adotandos e auxiliando os adotantes no processo de filiação, buscamos identificar as particularidades dessa filiação. Além do mais, analisamos o modo de se vivenciarem a maternidade e a paternidade nos estágios de convivência e, ainda, de a relação do casal quanto ao desejo de adoção, relacionar-se com a interação da criança com as figuras parentais adotivas. Para isso, realizamos uma pesquisa de abordagem psicanalítica, analisando os relatos de acompanhamento dos estágios de convivência. Como resultado, em relação às crianças adotadas, constatamos que a precariedade na vivência do luto das imagos parentais prejudica o reinvestimento afetivo nas novas figuras maternas. Já em relação às famílias adotivas, percebemos que as dificuldades na vivência do luto do filho biológico interferem na filiação adotiva. Especificamente, para as mães adotivas, é necessário o luto do lugar de mãe como o lugar do objeto de amor primordial do filho, uma vez que, pelo desenvolvimento do adotando, a criança demandará um modelo de relação diferente daquela construída com infantes. Diante de tais constatações, esperamos contribuir para a construção de novos conhecimentos que embasem o trabalho de preparação das famílias adotivas, fundamental para o sucesso na adoção.
This study was based on the attendance, by this reasearcher as a judiciary analist, in four adoptions cases of children between four and ten years old, prosecuted at the Recifes Secound Childhood and Adolescece Court, along the year of 2013. On these cases, we verified the adoptees difficulty to filiate with the adoptive mothers, wich caused great suffering, while they affectively approached the adoptive fatherss without any apparent setbacks. For that reason, to contribute to the development of the work whith older than four year old childrens adoption (here refered as older child adoption), preparing the adoptees and assisting the adoptive parents on the filiation process, we sought to identify these filiations particularities. Furthermore, we analyzed how the maternity and paternity was experienced on the adaptation period and, more, and the relation of the couple regarding the will to adopt related to the childs interaction with the adoptive figures. Thereunto, we conducted a psychoanalytic approachs reaseach, analysing adaptation periods attendance reports. As results, regarding the adoptive children, we verified that the precariousness on experiencing the parental imagos mourning affects the emotional reinvestment upon the new maternal figures. As for the adoptive families, we noticed that the difficulties experiencing the biological childs mourning interferes on the adoptive filiation. Especially, for the adoptive mothers, it required mourn being a mother as being the sons primary love object, since, because of the childs development, he will demand a different relationship pattern than the one experienced with a baby. Upon the findings, we hope to contribute to the development of new knowledge to base te adoptive families preparation, essential to the adoptions success.

Durante os primeiros meses de vida, o bebê mostra um intenso interesse para olhar e ser olhado, porém quando isso não acontece e sua mãe não se dá conta desse fato, podemos considerar este como sendo um sinal de risco de autismo (Laznik, 2004). Assim, a clínica com bebês propõe um tratamento de crianças desde o momento em que aparecem os primeiros elementos indicativos de sofrimento psíquico. Dessa forma, o olhar dos pais é de fundamental importância na intervenção clínica precoce, que visa à saúde mental na primeira infância e suas repercussões para a vida posterior. Nesse sentido é que este estudo foi desenvolvido, a partir de nossas atividades clínicas, com bebês que apresentam algum sofrimento psíquico, realizadas nos grupos pais-bebês do CAPSi Centro Campinense de Intervenção Precoce, na cidade de Campina Grande PB, tendo como objetivo geral analisar o lugar no qual esses pais se colocam face a adoção de um bebê com sinais indicativos de autismo. Como objetivos específicos, ele se propõe: investigar como esse bebê é falado por seus pais, uma vez que o olhar pode ser um efeito da palavra, e também pretendemos articular os aspectos que levaram à adoção e aos sinais indicativos de autismo. Seu fundamento teórico consiste na psicanálise, tendo como eixo condutor de nossas leituras as obras de Freud e Lacan e de seus discípulos cujos trabalhos versam sobre constituição do sujeito e a clínica precoce de crianças com risco de autismo ou com dificuldades no estabelecimento do laço pais-bebês. Realizamos um estudo de caso para ilustrar a questão do olhar dos pais, enfatizando de que lugar o bebê é olhado, em que ponto do esquema óptico de Lacan os seus pais estão situados. Também discutimos questões relacionadas à adoção, maternidade e paternidade. Os dados relacionados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas realizadas com a mãe, o pai e duas profissionais que atendem o referido bebê, além da consulta ao prontuário.

Between 1960 and 1975 more than 38,000 mothers lost babies to adoption in New South Wales, Australia, a pattern which was replicated in other Western societies. Various theories were proposed for women's exnuptial pregnancies which resulted in their babies being taken for adoption, culminating in the discursive construction of the unmarried mother as 'mad, bad, or stupid'. Until the 1990s, the voices of women whose babies had been taken for adoption had been silenced by the social order which adoption practices served. It is through their voices, and through the voices of other women who remember the era of the adoption bounty, that another meaning for the loss of a baby to adoption, through the process of semanalysis, has been sought. This thesis is informed primarily by the writings of the French postmodern feminist, Julia Kristeva. In addition the works of the post-structuralist philosopher, Michel Foucault, the German socialist feminist, Frigga Haug, and the American feminist psychologist, Michelle Fine are used as an heuristic lens through which to examine the phenomenon of losing a baby to adoption. A qualitative research methodology, incorporating feminist praxis and feminist multiple methods, has been employed. The framework for this thesis is that of a double helix which depicts two orders, the symbolic and the semiotic, which intertwine and intersect. The symbolic order is analogous to the public social order which through its hegemonic discourses constructed the unmarried mother and adoption. The semiotic order refers to the personal space where the voices of women are heard through counterdiscourses. At the scission of the two helical strands sits the thetic phase, a point of rupture by the semiotic into the symbolic where the voices of mothers are expressed through their poetry and art. Through the process of semanalysis, the tensions which simultaneously resist and challenge the semiotic and symbolic orders are exposed: tensions between discourse, discipline and docility; power and knowledge; sexuality and silence; power of / as sexuality; power and resistance; and resistance and / as silence. Furthermore, I examine the manifestations of mothers' resistance to silence, and their resistance as activism. My concluding analysis involves the notion of abjection as it binds together the threads of the loss of a baby to adoption: abjection as entrapment; abjection as infertility; and abjection as / in reunion. For mothers who lost babies to adoption, their loss finds meaning in the ultimate horror: it is abjection.

This study examined relinquishing mothers experiences in open adoption in the state of Victoria, Australia. The quantitative study aimed to document the actual practice of contact, and to examine the associations between contact and psychological adjustment and grief of relinquishing mothers. The study consisted of 30 participants who completed a questionnaire, which contained questions relating to the adoption and subsequent contact, satisfaction with contact, psychological adjustment measures of the GHQ, Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Delighted-Terrible scale, and grief measures of the Impact of Event Scale and an adapted version of the Grief Experience Inventory. Results revealed a range of type and frequency of contact experiences. Contact was not associated with psychological adjustment and grief as expected, however, a negative association was found between frequency of contact and satisfaction with contact. The co-variates of age of the mother, support at the time of the relinquishment and choice in the relinquishment decision were associated with psychological adjustment and grief. Post hoc analyses revealed guilt was negatively associated with psychological adjustment. Results are interpreted in relation to the minimal previous research in the field, theory and practice. Recommendations for future research are also included.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Social Work degree Social Development the department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities at the University of Witwatersrand 2017
The phenomenon of absent fathers is not uniquely a South African problem but it is a global issue affecting numerous countries such as Norway, the United States of America as well as other African countries such as Nigeria, Swaziland Botswana to mention a few. Levels of paternal absence in South Africa seem particularly high in comparison to estimates for many other African countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The absence of fathers in their children’s lives leave children vulnerable after their biological mothers pass on and are subsequently placed in foster care as a measure of protecting and securing the child. The primary aim of this study was to explore the experiences of foster parents raising African foster care children with absent fathers in the Mpumalanga Province in Gert Sibande region, Msukaligwa sub-district. This study used a qualitative approach with an exploratory design. The research instrument that was used was an interview schedule and the data collection method that was employed was face-to-face semi structured interview. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis. The participants in the study comprised of 20 foster care parents aged from 25 years old and above. The main findings of this study were that foster parents seemed to perceive fathers as economic providers and most of them expressed that their absence seemed to be felt especially when it comes to the lack of financial provision. In addition to financial hardships, emotional and cultural hardships were also identified. The study recommends that more studies of this nature need to be done in order to come up with intervention strategies that governments need to use in order to release some of the strains faced by foster parents who are raising African children in foster care. The conclusion of the study is that South African families require attention, considering that father absence has taken a toll. The ripple effect of father’s failure to be present in their children’s lives and support their children will increase the number of children depending on state interventions such as foster care placements.
MT 2018

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)

An empirical study was undertaken to conduct applied, exploratory, descriptive research to establish challenges specific to cross racial adoption in Gauteng, South Africa. The objectives of the overall aim were: * to conduct empirical work and to collect data through the use of focus groups with parents who have cross racially adopted, in order to explore challenges specific to cross racial adoptions * to conduct analysis in order to describe the findings of the empirical data * to conduct a thorough literature review on available literature pertaining to cross racial adoption * to draw conclusions and make recommendations on the completion of the afore mentioned objectives The empirical study demonstrated that: * Parents who cross racially adopt do experience challenges and there are challenges specific to cross racial adoption * A number of the challenges experienced by parents who cross racially adopt are directly linked to a lack of support throughout the adoption process * A need exists for a comprehensive model of support for parents who cross racially adopt The empirical study was successful in identifying, exploring and describing challenges experienced by parents who cross racially adopt in Gauteng.
Social work
M.Diac.(Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans
Summaries in English and Afrikaans
Narratiewe navors:ing is gedoen om vas te stel watter rol geloof speel in die aanneemgesin. Onderhoudvoering met aanneemouers het die kernfaktor in die funksionering van die gesin as die aanvaarding of verwerping van die verskil tussen gesinne wat deur aanneming saamgestel is en gesinne wat deur geboorte saamgestel is, uitgewys. V erwerping strem verhoudinge binne die gesin, maak die gesin kwesbaar vir stres en vervreemding tussen ouer en kind. Aanvaarding, aan die antler kant, beteken dat die ouer die behoefte van sy kind om met sy natuurlike ouers in aanrak:ing te kom, erken. So 'n houding bring 'n verbetering in die ouer-kindverhouding mee en gevolglik ook in die vennoe om ontwikkelingskrisisse te hanteer. Geloofkan 'n rol speel om an.gs en selftwyfel by die aanneemouers as gevolg van die onnatuurlike samestelling van die gesin te besweer, sodat hulle die verskil aanvaar en sodoende 'n gesonder perspektief op gesinwees ontwikkel.
Narrative research was done in order to establish the role of faith in the adoptive family. In interviews with adoptive parents it was found that the crucial factor in the functioning of the family is the acceptance or rejection of the differences between families created by adoption and those created by childbirth. Rejection hampers relationships within the family and renders it vulnerable to stress and enstrangement between parent and child. Acceptance on the other hand means that the parent recognises the need of the child to connect with his birth parents. This latter attitude results in improved relationships between parent and child and in more effectiveness in coping with developmental crises. Faith can play a role to cl.ispell the anxciety and self-doubt of adoptive parents resulting from the unnatural constitution of their family, accept the differences and in that way may contribute to a healthier perspective on the family.
Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology
M.Th.(Pastoral Theraphy)