A Study of the Relationship between Adopted Children and their Grandparents

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A Study of the Relationship between Adopted
Children and their Grandparents

• PhD/ MPhil with the Tavistock Clinic
• Supervisors Andrew Cooper and Liz Webb
•  
• David Pitcher
• Social Worker, Plymouth City Council
•  
• Began October 2002
• Estimated Completion October 2007

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The Research Question

• 1.   Importance for children Are grandparents
  important for adopted children?
• 2.   Significance for grandparents Is being a
  grandparent significant for adopters parents
  themselves?
• 3.   Patterns of relating Can we recognise
  patterns of relating within adoptive families, as
  seen from a three generational perspective, that
  are distinctive to this family form?
• 4.   Beginnings What, if anything, is the
  significance of the period when the relationship
  began? This includes (i) the parents decision
  to adopt and (ii) the arrival of the child.
• 5.  Origins Are there issues for grandparents
  and grandchildren that arise out of (i) there not
  being a blood tie or (ii) the child having a
  different past?
• 6. Roles What roles do grandparents play in
  adoptive families?

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Thinking is done, not in the head, but in the
market place. Clifford Geertz
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• Quantitative Approach
•  236 families, approved as adopters in Devon
  2000-2003
• Questionnaires to Social Workers
• Qualitative Approach
• Semi- structured interviews with six adoptive
  families with children aged 5-12
•  Members of all generations interviewed 22
  interviews in all
•  Use of story stem for children
•  Focus Groups at key points

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(No Transcript)
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Paul Ricoeur Interpretation as recollection of
meaning describing  Phenomenology Interpr
etative Phenomenological Analysis IPAJonathan
Smith    interpretation as an exercise of
suspicion deciphering   Psychoanalysis Th
e Defended SubjectWendy Hollway Tony Jeffery
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Some Findings...

• In 47 of adoptive families, all four
  grandparents are alive. In only 3 are there no
  grandparents
• Two thirds of mothers mothers were described as
  close. One third of fathers fathers are
  described as close. In 10 of families, no
  grandparent is described as close.
• Thats the kind of family we are! People who
  adopt may see having children, especially
  children who need their love, as a realisation of
  the kind of family we are.
• The meaning of progress. The meaning of the
  child not responding.
• Organising Anxieties. Telling the story of the
  first meeting. The relationship name.

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Be Inspired!     1.  Paying attention to the
links between people     2. The role of the
self     3.A developing field. There is still so
much we do not know!