Why is international adoption ethically controversial? If Im 4 it, wht ethical theory could support my opinion

Answer 1

some view it as a trend, this year its popular to adopt African babies, last year Asian, maybe next year ?? who knows, they also feel that there are plenty of children in this country in need of homes, and that foreign adoption is a status symbol
to be for it, you could argue that the goal of adoption is to give a home to a child who doesn't have one, who isnt being cared for properly, and that it doesn't matter who/where from the source of a family for that child comes, its the childs best interest that should always be considered

Answer 2

Hey NJ, excellent Q
It's ethically dubious because ,and this is purely my opinion, of 1/ Deculturation, 2/ Selection 3/ Potential abuse
Deculturation is when you take someone out of their native environment and impose another culture on them; this is perhaps a facet of cultural imperialism where one culture is viewed as ?better? than another. The Native American's (they aren't and never were Indian) and the Australian First People (I refuse to call them aborigines) were subject to this sort of mass deculturation and in the majority have not yet recovered.
African Slavery, East Indian indentureships and the ? civilization? of the Native peoples of the Caribbean were again examples of deculturation. The decultured person may face discrimination in their new culture as well as a range of psychoemotional conditions... In answer to the question you were going to ask... nobody knows for sure how young is young enough that the effects are not experienced..
2/ Selection: If you wanted to adopt a foreign child which would you choose... unless you were a very rare person indeed you'd select the brightest, the cutest the quickest or the friendliest... in some context the ? best? that nation had to offer... would it be fair then if this were common to deny an nation their ?best? and leave behind your rejects, who would grow up knowing that the reason they live*there* and not *here* was because you thought they weren't * good enough*?
3/ Poterntial for abuse if this became common, how long would it take for a *Black market baby industry* to develop. Would'nt there be unscrupulous players who would ?adopt? babies for 1/ body parts, or 2/ slavery. Babies have ALREADY been adopted for blood compatibility for haemophiliac children and for transfusibility for leukemics..

If you are for it, and nothing I say should be construed as meaning that I'm totally against, the ethical support position is that you can 1/ offer a child an opportunity to escape oppression, 2/ that you may be able to provide to that child opportunities that aren't available at home (if you're sure the opportunities don't exist) 3/ you may protect a child from a life of poverty or abuse, 4/ you may protect a child from a lifetime of abuse, discrimination or mutilation and 5/ THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON You and the child have formed a trusting bond THAT CANNOT BE SUPPLIED BY ANYONE ELSE IN HIS/HER NATIVE OR ANY ENVIRONMENT. Again I'm not against it per se, but we've got to be careful that we're sincere and that we do not inadvertently perpetrate an abuse against the child, or those wew leave behind... HTH Gerry

Answer 3

Well as a product of adoption some 53 years ago and now both parents have passed on I do appreciate it. But the one big draw back is my family medical history for health reasons. I don't know what that was. However I do know who is my family back in my home country so I can deal with that now. But that was my one bugaboo about it at first when I was on my own.

The other thing is cultural. It is true the family may be supportive but not everyone in the wider circle of family is for it. I fall in that category and as such I am by myself pretty much with no other family connection here or in my home country. Of course the way I get around that is my own network of friends here. So that is not really a problem. But that is one thing one must face for future reference for those who decide to adopt someone from another culture.

I suppose then it's nice for now and family. But once the family is grown up and gone it can become a surreal world. I am in favor of it however. So that others can have the same chance that I did to live and grow in the USA.

Personal experience.

Answer 4

As the mom of two daughters adopted from China, I hear about this alot.
Yes, I have heard the ethical questions about adoption. Can I raise them to appreciate their heritage? Can I love them as my own? Why adopt internationally at all?
I say this.
I am my husband have raised them to be proud of their heritage, and share with them all that we learn about China and more specifically from each of their Provinces( One daughters province is very into the arts and gymnastics,(Hunan) and the other very techicnal(Tianjin)
I loved them from the time I laid eyes upon them. I would tell anyone to adopt a child from anywhere, here or abroad. Mine just happened to be in China.