The self-identity of the young transracially adopted child

Abstract

Middle childhood is marked by latent physical and psychosocial growth, not least of which is the development of the personal and social self-identity. The presentation of this burgeoning self-identity of the six to ten year-old transracially adopted child was the focus of the current study. Of the 5,2 million vulnerable children in South Africa, more than 500 000 may benefit from adoption. This pressing welfare problem has forced Social Services to consider alternatives to traditional adoption, hence the escalation of transracial adoption. This is a universally contentious issue, possibly more so in South Africa, with its omnipresent racial tension following a long, well-documented history of forced segregation and racial disputes. While middle childhood has many normative identity developmental tasks, any adopted child must address the persistent need to belong while simultaneously dealing with intrinsic adoptive associated loss. Furthermore, transracially adopted children face these normative and adoption associated challenges in the presence of their observable physical differences from their family. The visible differences that distinguish their family unit deny the biological bond and evoke public scrutiny, and cultural dissent may compromise the building blocks that promote healthy identity development. Using multiple case studies (seven children) within a qualitative research design, the self-identity of the young school-going transracially adopted Black child was explored. Various sources of data were used, such as semi-structured interviews with the parents and teachers, who were requested to complete a child behaviour checklist. The parents also completed an additional biographical questionnaire and a Lickert-style response scale and were asked to describe their adoption journey with their child(ren). The children were psychometrically assessed by an independent psychologist using the draw-a-person test, the kinetic family drawing and scene building loosely based on the Von Staabs Sceno Test. The body of data generated from all the sources was subjected to Thematic analysis. The qualitative results were thematically analysed to identify themes that emerged for the two questions. Six themes emerged from the Thematic analysis and appear to be conducive to healthy self-identity development. The first two themes identified social strategies employed by the children, namely advanced communicative skills and a novel approach to group membership. These coping skills increased their accessibility to people and enhanced belonging and acceptance. The importance of having a dedicated space of their own and possessions to mark their permanence in the family emerged as a distinctive theme, and the importance of acceptance and the avoidance of rejection was confirmed. Intentional parenting was apparent throughout, and the need to school the children in an accommodating and sensitive environment to promote the wellbeing of the developing identity was noted. While this was not a comparative study, and the number of participants was small, the data revealed that transracially adopted (TRA) children growing up in a supportive system, i.e., a conducive home and school environment, have the opportunity to develop a healthy selfidentity. The sensitive and purposeful environment established by the parents and school allows them ix to learn appropriate coping and social strategies that facilitate access to significant interpersonal relationships, favourable group membership, and healthy self-esteem and worth. In the presence of the building blocks that nurture healthy psychosocial and identity development, the TRA child presents as “just a typical child”. Key Concepts • Adoption • Transracial adoption • Personal identity • Social identity • Racial awareness • Adoption identity • Sense of belonging and acceptance • Coping strategies • Intentional parenting • Conducive school environment