Abstract
This paper is concerned with the construction of “the sense of a common bond” in adoptive families. First, I clarify how adoptive families construct this sense in relation to biological families. Second, by examining features of adoptive family life, I suggest a new way of understanding non-adoptive families. Presuppositions about “normal” family relationships dominate the start of adoptive family life. As seen from the actors' perspective, “emotional normalization” is a crucial indicator of successful adoptive family life. I outline how involuntarily childless couples try to accomplish normality when applying for a child, and how achieving the assumed normality of nonadoptive families continues after adoption.
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I appreciate Shulamit Reinharz' careful editing, and thank her for helping me share some of my research findings with an American audience.
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Hoffmann-Riem, C. Adoptive parenting and the norm of family emotionality. Qual Sociol 9, 162–178 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314414
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314414