Ethics of Transracial Adoption - by Hawley Fogg-Davis (Hardcover)

About the Book

Transracial adoption is one of the most contentious issues in adoption politics and in the politics of race more generally. Some who support transracial adoption use a theory of colorblindness, while many who oppose it draw a causal connection between...

Book Synopsis

Transracial adoption is one of the most contentious issues in adoption politics and in the politics of race more generally. Some who support transracial adoption use a theory of colorblindness, while many who oppose it draw a causal connection between race and culture and argue that a black child's racial and cultural interests are best served by black adoptive parents. Hawley Fogg-Davis carves out a middle ground between these positions. She believes that race should not be a barrier to adoption, but neither should it be absent from the minds of prospective adopters and adoption practitioners. Fogg-Davis's argument in favor of transracial adoption is based on the moral and legal principle of nondiscrimination and a theory of race-consciousness she terms "racial navigation." Challenging the notion that children "get" their racial identity from their parents, she argues that children, through the process of racial navigation, should cultivate their self-identification in dialogue with others. The Ethics of Transracial Adoption explores new ground in the transracial adoption debate by examining the relationship between personal and public conceptions of race and racism before, during, and after adoption.

Review Quotes

The Ethics of Transracial Adoption is an indispensable resource not only for those contemplating adoption across racial lines, but also for those interested in reexamining the ways in which our current racial classification systems affect racial identity construction, our notions of the family dynamic, and what elements are best deliberated when determining the placement of a child in adoption policy.... The Ethics of Transracial Adoption is a valuable contribution to the field of multiracial studies and race relations in the United States.

Fogg-Davis creatively proposes a thoughtful experiment: What would happen if all agencies adopted a policy of racial randomization, where color was totally eliminated as a consideration in adoption? White children would be adopted by black families as readily as white families adopt black children.... A brief summary cannot do justice to this work's theoretical, philosophical approach.... This work is recommended for graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

I recommend this book for social workers, government agencies making the decisions regarding transracial adoptions, and prospective adoptive parents. It is easy reading, yet it provides excellent information.

About the Author

Hawley Fogg-Davis is Associate Professor of Political Science at Temple University.