• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.5-33
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to understand the open adoption experience of adoptive families. For this purpose, the data were collected through diverse data collection methods including in-depth interviews with adoptive families who had experiences of open adoption and analyzed using a qualitative case study approach. Data collected from six adoptive families were employed for within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. Each case was carefully examined and summarized using story-telling style in the within-case analysis and major issues for open adoption appeared in each case were described and compared one by one. In the cross-case analysis, all the cases were re-examined keeping the issues appeared in the within-case analysis in mind and eight integrated themes were emerged from it. The eight integrated themes are 'the crucial meeting', 'a clear arrangement', 'an uneasy parallel', 'the other mom', 'who are the real parents?', 'the words never to say', 'the hidden characters', and 'the center of relations or the outsider'. Based on the results of the study, the policies and practical guidelines related to open adoption were suggested. Also, the suggestions for the further studies were made to obtain more abundant information beyond the limitations of the study.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.69-98
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial adjustment level of adopted children in non-traditional adoption of Korea and to verify the variables which influence their psychosocial adjustment. Moreover, this study concentrates on the parenting style of an adoptive mother and the openness of communication between the adoptive mother and her adopted child. And, six control variables which are individual characteristics of the adopted child and his(her) adoptive mother were utilized. The participants of the this research consisted of 61 adopted children in non-traditional adoption of Korea aged six and above and their adoptive mothers of 61. Door-to-door surveys for data collection were conducted nationally from December of 2007 to February of 2008. As the results of this study, out of 6 behavior problem variables, the adopted child showed the highest points in immaturely dependence, and their social competence was verified to be good. The psychosocial adjustment of the adopted children in non-traditional adoption of Korea showed meaningful differences according to the warmhearted parenting style of the adoptive mother, the openness of adoptive mother-adoptee's communication on both general and adoption related issues, and control variables. It was also verified that the warm-heartedness and the respect for autonomy of adoptive mother's parenting style, openness of adoptive mother-adoptee's general communication, and five control variables were the important variables influencing the psychosocial adjustment of the adopted child in non-traditional adoption of Korea. Accordingly, the adoptive parents' education of parenting for adopted child should be required more professional and individual approach at the adoption practice of Korea.