Through the Window of Choices: A Study of Adoption in Kolkata City

Abstract

Background: Adoption refers to taking another’s child and bringing up the child as one’s own. This process vests in the child all the rights and privileges that a natural-born child would otherwise inherit. Adoption can also be termed as the process of becoming non-biological parents. It is also building a family through the process of concentrated, dedicated, enduring love, rather than biology. A major consideration during the adoption process has been the sex of the child. Objectives: To determine the reasons, understand preferences in terms of variables such as gender, age, skin colour, religion, ability or disability, etc. while adopting and analyse the perceptions of adoptive parents on adoption. Materials and Method: The study adopts a qualitative method, descriptive research design; an interview was administered to five families, recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Results: Most parents simply go for adoption to have an ‘heir to their throne’. Cooperation entails understanding on part of both the child as well as the parents who are willing to adopt. Lack of emotional expression may lead to emotional numbness and lack of transparency in the parent-child relationship. It could be determined that all of the respondents expressed grief at not being able to conceive a child, biologically. Conclusion: Adoption is a choice. However, at times it can also become a mandate. It imposes demands on society, creating social stratification and stigma.