Paper short abstract:

Focusing on Spain, the second world's adoptive country between 2000-2009, our research draws on qualitative methodology as well as systematic network approach in order to describe the structure and function of transnational adoptive parents' care-giving support networks.

Paper long abstract:

The study on how personal and community networks shape child-rearing practices and vice-versa demands further academic attention in the adoption literature. Spain became the second world's adoptive country (first one in relative numbers) between 2000-2009 (Selman, 2012) and this phenomenon has stimulated a considerable amount of research delving into nearly every aspect of the adoptees' and their adoptive families experiences. These studies have been broadly dominated by disciplines such as developmental psychology that inquire into the adaptation, acculturation, racial/ethnic/cultural identity formation and mental health of adoptees post-adoption. Thus, while there has been much research on the social contextual variables that influence the child's adaptation and development once s/he becomes part of his/her adoptive family, little attention has been paid on the ways that care-giving networks are associated with child rearing and parenting in the context of adoption. In order to bridge this gap and focusing on the Spanish case, our research draws on qualitative methodology as well as systematic personal network approach in order to describe the structure and function of transnational adoptive parents' care-giving support networks. In this presentation we want to unveil the preliminary results obtained in our research with Spanish transnational adoptive families in order to answer this question: how do adoptive families organize and find the information, resources and support needed within their set of personal and social connections to provide a nurturing relationship and an optimal environment that will encourage their adopted children's healthy growth and development?