Title

Is Transracial Adoption In The Best Interests Of Ethnic Minority Children?: Questions Concerning Legal And Scientific Interpretations Of A Child'S Best Interests

Keywords

Africentric research; Best interests of the child; Empirical studies of adoption; Eurocentrism and adoption; Transracial adoption; Well-being of children of color

Abstract

In the past two decades a growing body of empirical research has purported to demonstrate that transracial adoption does not negatively impact, and may positively benefit, children of color, particularly Black children. This manuscript critically examines the studies purporting to establish this conclusion. It is argued that several methodological difficulties exist in these studies. In addition, both legal and scientific assessments of children's well-being define adjustment and maladjustment according to Eurocentric norms that define individual well-being in isolation from the well-being of one's racial or ethnic group. It is suggested that further research is necessary, most notably research that takes an Africentric approach, in order to establish that transracial adoption serves the best interests of Black and other ethnic minority children. © 2000 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Publication Date

6-1-2000

Publication Title

Adoption Quarterly

Volume

3

Issue

4

Number of Pages

5-34

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1300/J145v03n04_02

Socpus ID

84997877736 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84997877736

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