Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FaMInART (“Family Making in India through Adoption or Reproductive Technology ”An interdisciplinary investigation of preference of Indian couples experiencing infertility regarding means of family formation)
Berichtszeitraum: 2019-07-01 bis 2021-06-30
Although many people around the world desire to have a child and form a family, not all can conceive naturally. Indian society values fertility and being childless can cause significant suffering. Child adoption is one of the ways one can create a family, the other increasingly popular option being the use of various assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). In large Indian cities, specialized clinics providing ART are available, but access to them is limited due to costs involved in such fertility treatments. This qualitative study focuses on child adoption in India from the perspective of adoptive parents. It involves single persons and married couples who are residents of India and excludes members of Indian diaspora living abroad.
The goal of this research project was to explore the socio-cultural and regulatory factors influencing preference of individuals and couples in India suffering from infertility or subfertility regarding child adoption as a means of family formation. Unlike use of ART which allows individuals to keep their infertility secret, adopting a child makes underlying infertility visible. One doesn’t have to be infertile to choose adoption as means to create a family. However, in most cases of adoption, it is often the last option that parents have, having tried for many years to conceive naturally or with the help of ARTs. Socio-familial notions of genetic link with the children, having a child of one’s own flesh and blood and meaning associated with being a parent influence the path parents chose to create a family. Furthermore, legal regulation of ARTs and adoption also define the options available for individuals and couples to create a family.
The goal of this research project was to explore the socio-cultural and regulatory factors influencing preference of individuals and couples in India suffering from infertility or subfertility regarding child adoption as a means of family formation. Unlike use of ART which allows individuals to keep their infertility secret, adopting a child makes underlying infertility visible. One doesn’t have to be infertile to choose adoption as means to create a family. However, in most cases of adoption, it is often the last option that parents have, having tried for many years to conceive naturally or with the help of ARTs. Socio-familial notions of genetic link with the children, having a child of one’s own flesh and blood and meaning associated with being a parent influence the path parents chose to create a family. Furthermore, legal regulation of ARTs and adoption also define the options available for individuals and couples to create a family.
This project was implemented through three inter-related scientific work packages. In the first work package, I performed a systematic review of global literature on adoption to identify various aspects of decision-making process, on part of prospective or adoptive parents regarding adoption as a means of family creation that have been investigated through empirical (qualitative and quantitative) research. With a sensitive search strategy combining various key terms I searched seven scientific databases. We are currently screening through various search results as a first step of systematic review. This review will help us identify values, preferences, motivation, reasoning of adoptive parents regarding child adoption. It will be submitted to an academic journal for publication.
In the second work package, I analyzed the legal framework of child adoption in India by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). It helped me understand the legal context that governs and shapes the experience of adopting a child in India. It contributed to refining my interview guide which facilitated in-depth conversations with adoptive parents in work package 3. The laws are often situated in and are influenced by the larger socio-cultural norms, in this case how does society at large visualize an ideal family? How does legal system define and assess suitability of persons to be adoptive parents? Who is considered an ideal parent and why? These normative ideals either implicit or explicit in legal texts shed light on preferred dynamics of family creation in a particular society.
Finally, in the last work package, I interviewed 28 individuals who represented 23 adoptive families. In addition to five couple interviews where both husband and wife participated in the study together, I also spoke with five single women who chose adoption to become mothers. Their stories were unique given that child raising within marriage is still the norm in Indian society. My study sample comprised of 9 men and 19 women, all but one were based in different cities in the state of Maharashtra . Interviews ranged from 60 to 200 minutes, the average being 110 minutes. They were conducted in local languages (Hindi or Marathi) and English, were audio-recorded and transcribed and translated into English. I have just started data coding and analysis and plan to submit at least two scientific manuscripts built on this empirical data to relevant journals in fields of ethics, family studies, sociology and social work.
I will present some of the findings from this study at the World Congress of Bioethics which will take place in Basel, Switzerland in July 2022. As I progress with data analysis, I will submit my work to other conferences and also explore different possibilities to disseminate findings of my study (e.g. newspaper articles, presentation to university students, talks to adoptive parents’ groups)
In the second work package, I analyzed the legal framework of child adoption in India by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). It helped me understand the legal context that governs and shapes the experience of adopting a child in India. It contributed to refining my interview guide which facilitated in-depth conversations with adoptive parents in work package 3. The laws are often situated in and are influenced by the larger socio-cultural norms, in this case how does society at large visualize an ideal family? How does legal system define and assess suitability of persons to be adoptive parents? Who is considered an ideal parent and why? These normative ideals either implicit or explicit in legal texts shed light on preferred dynamics of family creation in a particular society.
Finally, in the last work package, I interviewed 28 individuals who represented 23 adoptive families. In addition to five couple interviews where both husband and wife participated in the study together, I also spoke with five single women who chose adoption to become mothers. Their stories were unique given that child raising within marriage is still the norm in Indian society. My study sample comprised of 9 men and 19 women, all but one were based in different cities in the state of Maharashtra . Interviews ranged from 60 to 200 minutes, the average being 110 minutes. They were conducted in local languages (Hindi or Marathi) and English, were audio-recorded and transcribed and translated into English. I have just started data coding and analysis and plan to submit at least two scientific manuscripts built on this empirical data to relevant journals in fields of ethics, family studies, sociology and social work.
I will present some of the findings from this study at the World Congress of Bioethics which will take place in Basel, Switzerland in July 2022. As I progress with data analysis, I will submit my work to other conferences and also explore different possibilities to disseminate findings of my study (e.g. newspaper articles, presentation to university students, talks to adoptive parents’ groups)
This empirical qualitative project on Indian adoptive parents’ journey into creating a family will contribute to scholarly literature on adoption in India. It has also opened up new questions regarding family formation in Indian context which require additional research. Due to the pandemic, I could not engage with non-academic societal actors. I will continue to seek such avenues to work with adoptive parents’ groups in India. Some of the findings of this study especially needs of adoptive parents will be valuable for law makers and other professionals such as social workers, psychologists and doctors.