Adoption in India

This book highlights the complexities and multi-dimensionalities of child adoption in India by challenging the prevalent adoption theories. It is the only book to lend a voice to adopted children and adults. It foregrounds the narratives of many families in their experiences of adoption together with the author's personal account as an adoptive parent. The volume outlines parenting practices that lead to success and well-being achieved through adoption. The first unit deals with the 'macro' delineation of child adoption, while the second discusses the 'micro' concerns of parents and children in the Indian context. It also analyses the socio-political and socio-cultural contexts within which adoptions take place. It includes excerpts from the guidelines for in-country adoption, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Hague Convention on inter-country adoptions. This book would be useful to the students, researchers, and faculty of Social Work, Human Development, Education, Psychology, Sociology and Law. It will also be an indispensable companion to adoptive parents (domestic and inter-country), adoptees (domestic and abroad), psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, and policy makers.

Vinita Bhargava has retired as a Professor from the Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies at the Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi. She has worked with various agencies in the field of adoption policy and practice in India. She has been a founder member of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), And the "NOC" committee member for screening applications for inter-country adoptions. She has been on the Sub-Committee for National training of Social workers for Adoption Counselling. She has also founded a support group for adoptive parents called APNA in New Delhi. Currently she undertakes pre and post adoptive counselling for parents and children.

Prologue 1. Introduction 2. Adoption and the Socio-political context 3. Theoretical Paradigms and Research Outcomes 4. Socio-cultural Dimensions of Adoption in India 5. Researching Adoption in India 6. Alternative Parenting Experiences 7. Construction of the Self in an Adopted Child 8. Family Interactions and Self-evaluations 9. Stepping into Adulthood 10. Adult Adoptees Narratives 11. Adoption of Older Children 12. The Multiple Lenses and an Agenda for change Epilogue Bibliography