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Transracial adoption in Britain: Politics, ideology and reality

Barn, Ravinder, Kirton, Derek (2012) Transracial adoption in Britain: Politics, ideology and reality. Adoption and Fostering, 36 (3-4). pp. 25-37. ISSN 0308-5759. (doi:10.1177/030857591203600304) (KAR id:36900)

Abstract

Transracial adoptions by white parents are situated at the intersections of family and public policy. Debates on racial integration are juxtaposed with child rights and the private sphere of the family. In Britain, the practices of transracial adoption and 'racial matching' continue to invite fierce debate and discussion. Several factors, including the ongoing disproportionate representation of minority ethnic children in the public care system, the 'unavailability' of suitable minority ethnic adoptive parents, concerns about adoptees' racial/cultural identity and the 'suitability' of white parents to raise racially competent children, form the backdrop for such debates. For the last decade or so, political attention has been focused on permanence for children in care and adoption in particular. Within these wider debates, the allegedly low adoption rates of minority ethnic children, the 'delay' in finding suitable adoptive families, the 'rejection' of suitable white adoptive couples, and 'ethnic matching' are presented as some of the key concerns. Ravinder Barn and Derek Kirton seek to unravel the evidence base around transracial adoption and 'racial matching' in the symbolic representational battle being fought in the 'best interests' of minority ethnic children.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/030857591203600304
Uncontrolled keywords: transracial; adoption; matching; minority ethnic; identity; multicultural
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Mita Mondal
Date Deposited: 25 Nov 2013 15:54 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:13 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/36900 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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