Prof. Linda J Seligmann
Department of Sociology and Anthropolgy
Transnational Adoption and Changing Faces of American Families
Interview
The questions and themes for discussion include factual, demographic information such as age, residence, and family composition. They also include discussion of the adoption process and experiences; changes over time; how family members, friends, school and society in general have responded to adoption; the challenges you have encountered and how you have met them.
If in-person interviews are not possible, then initial participation would entail one or more telephone interviews, which will be taped. Your child would initially participate in an on-line survey but follow-up could include interviews, either in-person or by phone. While what you say is incorporated into the research, all participants’ identities will remain anonymous unless they choose otherwise. Informed consent from you and your child are required.
Results of the Study
This is not a simple research survey. It is a much more in-depth examination of how we are thinking about families in the United States. It also looks at how family members’ experiences change over time. The results of the study will be in the form of articles and books and will be made accessible to you. While numbers are very powerful, the varied voices of adoptive families also need to be heard. This study will incorporate the views and voices of participants.
In addition, the study hopes to provide useful information to social workers, teachers, and other families who in one way or another wish to learn more about transnational and transracial adoptive families, especially from the perspective of the families themselves.
