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ASEM_2_InternationalTransracialAdoptions_W22.pptxWeek 6: International Transracial Adoptions
Week 6: ASEM 2696:
Communication & Adoption
Course Learning Objective #5: Feel a sense of connection, community, and belonging with the professor and students in this course, continuing to learn from and with each other as DU students and alumni long after this course is over. [human dimension learning goal]
Please Place your Name Card
Internal Weather Report
Close Eyes,
Hand over Heart,
Find Breathe,
How are you feeling?
Choose 2 emotions,
Open eyes Circle of Voices
Midterm Evaluations
Course Learning Objective #6: Develop metacognitive abilities around inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to enhance student learning that can be applied to learning in other courses during college and trainings after graduation. [learning-how-to-learn learning goal]
Midterm Evaluations
Prof Suter Comments
Thank you for honesty and willingness to invest enough in your own learning to provide suggestions that will improve our learning community
1. What’s going well? Key Themes
Interactive, discussion nature of course and my peers’ willingness to engage
Inclusive, open & safe classroom environment
Interesting, diverse Pre-Class Learning Activities: readings, documentaries
Differing perspectives and interpretations of classmates
2. What’s not going so well? Key Themes
Change up groups for small group discussion to gain other perspectives
The course load and material has been hard to keep up with
Shyness to speak in group discussions
3. What can you (the student) do about #2? Key Themes
Organize my time better
Better use my time between classes
Plan ahead more (e.g., create a weekly plan for what I what to accomplish)
Take more from the class and others’ experiences to connect better to the material as an individual
4. What can Professor Suter do about number 2?
Rotate discussion groups to provide more opportunities to discuss with all classmates*OKAY with everyone given COVID?*
Continue encouraging class discussion as it helps make personal connections from others’ perspectives
Dr. Suter facilitate discussion more: Hear more from Professor Suter a little more. I know students find discussion more engaging however I would love to hear a little lecture because I feel like she has a vast amount of knowledge that I would love to get
More structure sometimes (if i clearly knew what question was asked, if it was clear if we were jumping in or raising hands, etc.) I would be more comfortable doing so
If materials are significantly long, maybe break them up into different assignments?
Be mindful that people come from a variety of backgrounds and some of us are less exposed to this content than others
4. What can Professor Suter do about number 2?
Experiments today—Pls provide me feedback afterward
1. Experiment #1: Rotated Peer Groups: Pls let me know if more than 2 people are together again in the same group
2. Begin with Lecture
3. More structured prompt for write-to-learn and small group discussion
4. Clearer raise hand protocol for whole group discussion
Any other comments, questions, or feedback?
Your item or learning needs not addressed today?
Please come to office hours Thursday 12:30-1:30
OR
Email to set up a meeting at a time that works for both of us
Pre-Class Learning Activities
1. Chapter 5, The Practices of Transnational Adoption (pp. 94-122) Making Families Through Adoption
· Exploration of Patterns.
3. Afifi, W. A., & Guerrero, L. K. (2000). Motivations underlying topic avoidance in close relationships.
4. Adopted documentary
5. Adopted viewing guide
The Practices of Transnational Adoption
Why Riley & Van Vleet use term, “transnational” adoption
“to signal the importance of the ways that the flow of children from sending to receiving countries—like the flow of other people, things, capital, or ideas—mirrors pathways of power, authority, and inequality, this time on a global scale” p. 94
To signal their complexity, as “best understood as the result of complex and sometimes contradictory processes at all levels—local, national, and global” p 94
Why Transnational Adoption?
No single answer, complex
Early adoptions from Europe, Asia humanitarian
Followed crises of war, poverty in sending countries
Birth mother rights in US
Ortiz & Briggs argue media and public policies constructed poorer children of other countries as “savable”
Declining international adoption
Reasons contributing to the Decline: Explanations come from multiple perspectives
Decline attributed to two largest causes by scholars:
Increased standards for ethical adoptions
Shifts in social, economic and political concerns of some of the largest sending countries
Certainly, now we have the effects of Covid but even prior to Covid.
South Korean government been encouraging in-country adoptions,
began to see increase in domestic, decrease in international since 2007.
China slowdown started mid 2000’s
Stricter rules for foreign adoption, Stricter requirements around couples qualifying for adoption
Global Transfer of Children
U.S. Department of State “promotes intercountry adoption as a viable option for children in need of permanency when it is in the best interest of the child and when placement within the country of origin has been appropriately considered but ruled out as a viable option.”
FY 2020 Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption July 2021
Topic Avoidance: What is it?
Strategic
Decision
To NOT disclose info on particular topic
Avoidance of “taboo topics”: examples..
teen avoids topics of sex, risky behavior with parent;
info from previous relationships with new partner
Motivations for Topic Avoidance:
Relationship Protection: avoid out of fear of harm to rel that might be brought by disclosure
Relationship Destruction: avoid topics to deescalate rel; to decrease intimacy
Identity Management: avoid to save face; to protect image; to protect self from punishment, criticism, embarrassment
Identity Management Example
Desire to “fit in” or “blend in” with White family and community overrides desire to share racialized experiences with parent
“my parents didn’t bring [race] up and I think the other factor was that I didn’t know how to voice that, either, because I didn’t have anyone around me that could voice it, despite the fact that my [Korean adopted] sister was there. I think that we were very similar in the sense that we don’t have other people telling us it’s okay to talk about being different, especially when people are telling you ‘’you should be the same.’ You kind of feel like it’s your fault.”
Motivations for Topic Avoidance (cont)
4. Privacy: avoid to maintain autonomy; to carve out private sense of self
5. Quality of Expected Information/Partner unresponsiveness: e.g., avoid b/c feel other will think topic trivial, won’t understand
e.g., Docan-Morgan’s research with Korean Adoptees: avoided disclosing racial derogation because instinctually felt White parents could not understand or had disclosed in past and parental response unhelpful
6. Futility of Discussion: avoids b/c feel like talking about issue is pointless, won’t produce any useful result (e.g., topic of birthmother or searching)
In-Class Writing and Discussion Modified Jig Saw: Reflecting on the film Adopted, free write for 10 minutes about what was most striking to you in relation to…
Group 1: …adoption and biological normativity
Group 2 … adoption and identity
Group 3 …. Adoption and topic avoidance
Group 4 ….. Adoption and race
Post and Shut Laptop when completed.
Discussion Post #2 Write-to-Learn
Due Date
ENGAGEMENT EXPECTATIONS
Write and Respond with the heart. Emotions are okay in this class; no need to bifurcate the mind and body
Write & Respond intentionally
Go Frolic
See You Next Week!
