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Lim, Gyoung-Mi;Yang, Sung-Eun
- Journal of Families and Better Life
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- v.29 no.5
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- pp.33-50
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- 2011
This study aims to examine experiences of adoptive families, mainly focusing on mothers with their biological children and adopted a child, through a phenomenological approach. The subjects of this study are adoptive family's mothers with their biological children according to a criterion-based selection. 15 mothers who adopted children under 12 months, who are currently aged over 6, are selected and given personal and in-depth interviews, questions ranging from the process before adoption, foster care and changes in family relationships to the issues caused by adoption and coping methods. 6 steps of a phenomenological method that Colaizzi(1978) proposed are applied to analyze the data. The results of this study are as follows. The central theme of this study is 'A family which has harmonized with love beyond blood ties'. First, the participants have shown difficulties in different aspects over adoption than those of sterile families. The motive of their adoption is to let adopted children experience a happy childhood in a loving family. Secondly, the participants have adjusted themselves to new adoptive families, have committed to the care of their new children, and have experienced a change in family relationships. Finally, adoptive families have successfully been settled while overcoming difficulties together.
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Koo, Mee-Hyang
- Korean Journal of Child Studies
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- v.27 no.3
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- pp.117-133
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- 2006
Twenty-one adoptive parents participated in this study on adoption-related conflicts perceived by adoptive parents in open adoption. Q-methodology, which provides understanding of individual attitudes and experiences, identified three types of conflict. Type 1 experienced a great deal of conflict and concern prior to the adoption decision; they also faced difficulties stemming from lack of information about parenting an adopted child and institutional inertia. For type 2, the major factors of conflict were discord among siblings, negative bias against adoption in the community, and insufficient national assistance. Type 3 reported that they feel concerned for their adopted-child's developmental and psychological wellbeing they worried that adoption status might lead to behavioral and attitudinal problems in their adopted-child during youth and young adulthood.
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Goo, Youngsan
- Journal of Korean language education
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- v.23 no.1
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- pp.183-217
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- 2012
This study explores the identity-formation of adult Korean-American intentional adoptees who studied Korean in a Korean language center in New York from 2005 to 2007. Based on participant observation in the classroom, observations of student conversations in their gatherings, and discourse analysis of conversations related to why they were studying Korean, I found that adoptees felt that their lack of knowledge of Korean had caused them to fall short of expectations of ethnic Koreans. Stereotyped as Korean (or Asian) based on their looks, they were often assumed to possess knowledge of and skills associated with Korean culture, which they of course lacked. They were motivated to study Korean (and acquaint themselves with Korean culture) in order to meet these expectations.