Adoption in America

Abstract

Adoption is a worldwide practice in many countries where many married and unmarried couples or single parents adopt children due to their desire of having children and other social, psychological factors. Whatever the reasons are, adoption must be in the favor of child's family, child himself, and the family who is adopting the child. Adoption in America is also very common now and Americans bring many children to their homes as their sons and daughters. This paper aims to understand the concept of Adoption and social, psychological and ethical factors associated with it.

Table of Contents

Abstract1

Introduction3

Discussion4

History5

Social Factors6

Psychological Factors8

Ethical and Bio-ethical Aspects11

Conclusion16

End Notes18

Adoption in America

Introduction

Adoption since the ancient times has been one of the methods to ensure the continuity of the family and exists in almost all the old laws. In fact, the groups in primitive societies were united by complex kinship and the adoption was the only acceptable method for incorporating strangers in order to artificially develop blood relations. Adoption can be defined as an institution under family law in which a link of affiliation is established between the adoptee and the adopter, who are not their biological parents. According to the statutory schemes, the adoption can be simple in which some links exist between the adopted child and his biological family. It can also be plenary, which has the effect of removing any pre-existing relationship with the latter, generally with the exception of prohibition of marriage.

Adoption of children can be seen as a normal as well as common activity in western countries where many married couples of opposite sex adopt children in order to compete or continue their family unit. In addition, it has been seen that couples generally adopt children from foreign or third world countries. No doubt, there are many children inside the country who are adopted by couples of opposite or same sexes and single parents. It is also essential to discuss that parent in third world countries like Bangladesh, India, China, Russia, etc. also sell their children for money just to keep their living up.

In fact, the adoption can be seen as a well-established custom in the United States and is of great importance for American people who adopt children inside or from abroad. Whatever the ways they adopt to bring a child in their family, their main purpose is to treat the adopted child as their biological child. Americans in earlier time were not positive for adoption and there was very small acceptance for children adoption as blood ties were important for people in America in early centuries. However, the urgent emotional needs and desires of couples without children led to a kind of informal adoption in the country. The most interesting to know is that adoption of children in the United States initially occurred in the form of "trainees", which perpetuated no inheritance or family line. Today, in the United States, the approximate number of adopted children is 120,000. It is also essential to know that children with physical, developmental ...