Historically, portrayals of adoption in visual media have often been stigmatizing; however, some recent adoption documentaries have the potential to have a positive effect on how Americans view adoption and, consequently, how they interact with adoptees and their families. How adoptive family members experience society's perception of them affects how they view themselves and interact with others in their family. Stigmatizing depictions of adoptive families in films represent them as deviant; they portray adoptees as incapable of developing positive identities, birthmothers as unfeeling, and adoptive mothers as less concerned about helping children than filling voids within themselves. Positive portrayals of adoption provide scholars and interested others valuable insight into the varied and variable experiences of adoptees and promote the social acceptance of non-traditional kinship formations. Documentarians exert a tremendous influence on how society perceives the non-normative kinship structures that form as a result of international adoptions. The issues raised in their films respond to keys themes such as racial identity, culture-keeping, and the commodification of children, all of which are the subjects of contentious scholarly debates. The films reflect contradictory discourses on children’s identity rights versus their rights to protection, such as expressed by conventions that govern international adoption, and create challenges for decision makers to consider which rights and needs to prioritize in determining the child's best interest. The films demonstrate not only that these discourses are contradictory, but also that many adoptive parents confuse race with culture, which does not support the children's development of positive racial identities. In my analysis of Somewhere Between (2011) and Wo Ai Ni (I Love You Mommy) (2010)), I conclude that Somewhere is significantly more positive than Wo Ai Ni. I further determine that participation in documentary-making may be helpful to the adolescent adoptees featured in Somewhere as they are negotiating their identities; whereas, under some circumstances such as those represented in Wo Ai Ni, it is inappropriate to feature younger children in documentaries. It is also critical and in the best interest of adoptees that documentarians consult with adoption professionals and educators before embarking on adoption documentary projects.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Childhood Studies
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Somewhere Between (Motion picture : 2011)
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Wo Ai Ni (Motion picture : 2010)
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Adoption
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Intercountry adoption
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_5583
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
iii, 73 p.
Note (type = degree)
M.A.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Rosemarie Peña
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Camden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10005600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
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