In much of the adoption practice literature, infertility “resolution” has been identified as an important, and in most cases necessary, precondition of adoption readiness. The findings of this research, based on interviews with 74 infertile couples, challenge this notion and suggest a reconceptualization of the relationship between infertility resolution and adoption readiness. Although some couples need to experience a sense of infertility closure before they can feel ready for adoption, others experience infertility and adoption in a concurrent manner as two ongoing, interpenetrating processes.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BeckerH. S.Personal change in adult life. In StoneG. P., & FarbermanH. A. (Eds.), Social psychology through symbolic interactionism (pp. 307–316). New York: John Wiley.
2.
CastleR. E. (1982). When adoption fails. Royal Society of Health Journal, 102, 9–10.
3.
Child Welfare League of America. (1968). Standards for adoption practice.New York: Author.
4.
Child Welfare League of America. (1978). Standards for adoption practice (rev. ed.). New York: Author.
5.
DalyK. J. (1988). Reshaped parenthood identity: The transition to adoptive parenthood. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 17, 40–66.
6.
DalyK. J. (1989a). Anger among prospective adoptive parents: Structural determinants and management strategies. Clinical Sociology Review, 7, 80–96.
7.
DalyK. J. (1989b). Preparation needs of infertile couples who seek to adopt. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 8, 111–121.
8.
DuketteR. (1984). Value issues in present day adoption. Child Welfare, 63, 233–243.
9.
GlaserB. G., & StraussA. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.New York: Aldine Publishing.
10.
HertzD. G. (1982). Infertility and the physician–patient relationship: A biopsychosocial challenge. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4, 95–101.
11.
HewittJ. P. (1976). Self and society: A symbolic interactionist social psychology.Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
12.
KadushinA., & SeidlF. W. (1971). Adoption failure: A social work postmortem. Social Work, 16, 32–38.
13.
KentK. G., & RichieJ. L. (1976). Adoption as an issue in casework with adoptive parents. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 15, 510–522.
14.
KraftA. D.PalomboJ.MitchellD.DeanC.MeyersS., & SchmidtA. W. (1980). The psychological dimensions of infertility. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 50, 618–628.
15.
KrugmanD. C. (1967). Differences in the relation of patents and children to adoption. Child Welfare, 46, 267–271.
16.
McNamaraJ. (1975). The adoption advisor.New York: Hawthorn.
17.
Martin-MatthewsA., & MatthewsR. (1986). Beyond the mechanics of infertility: Perspectives on the social psychology of infertility and involuntary childlessness. Family Relations, 35, 479–487.
18.
MatthewsR., & Martin-MatthewsA. (1986). Infertility and involuntary childlessness. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 641–650.
