‘This neo- natal ménage à trois’: British media framing of transnational surrogacy

Background: Media framing can influence people’s perceptions of social changes in family building, and has the potential to influence their future actions. Objectives: to analyse the type of framing and construction used in British news print of transnational commercial surrogacy. Methods: UK newspapers were searched using the search engine Lexis-Nexis. One hundred ninety seven articles were analysed. Content analysis was undertaken to identify the use of gain, loss, neutral, alarm and vulnerability frames, as well as type of construction (i.e. ethical, social, legal, financial and medical). Four researchers independently analysed articles using a coding strategy. Results: Differences between serious (mainly legal, financial), middle market (legal) and tabloid (social, financial) newspapers were found. There were three main foci; buying babies - affordable only to those wealthy enough to pay for it; the legal complications of transnational surrogacy - reporting a sense of the legal system lagging behind this practice; and gay families - repeatedly questioning their suitability as parents - demonstrating a prevailing heterosexual stereotype about reproduction and parenting. Conclusions: Stereotyping was prevalent and the welfare of children and medical aspects of transnational surrogacy were minimally addressed, indicating the media selectively influences its readership

What are children’s ‘best interests’ in international surrogacy?

Almost twenty five years after the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force in 1990, social workers are identifying new threats to the rights and needs of children. New family forms resulting from surrogacy arrangements are now possible because of cutting-edge medical technologies and the growing global market in ‘medical tourism’. Jurisdictions across the world are challenged to respond appropriately – especially where commissioning parents are either unclear about the law or are determined to circumvent it. The burgeoning numbers of commercial brokers and doctors with financial interests, and pressure from within the consumer lobby and the fertility industry to loosen international and domestic restraints on surrogacy arrangements, mean that these new challenges require new responses to ensure the best interests of the children involved are adequately catered for

What are children’s ‘best interests’ in international surrogacy?

Almost twenty five years after the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force in 1990, social workers are identifying new threats to the rights and needs of children. New family forms resulting from surrogacy arrangements are now possible because of cutting-edge medical technologies and the growing global market in ‘medical tourism’. Jurisdictions across the world are challenged to respond appropriately – especially where commissioning parents are either unclear about the law or are determined to circumvent it. The burgeoning numbers of commercial brokers and doctors with financial interests, and pressure from within the consumer lobby and the fertility industry to loosen international and domestic restraints on surrogacy arrangements, mean that these new challenges require new responses to ensure the best interests of the children involved are adequately catered for

Understanding the emergence, diffusion and continuance of intercountry adoption from South Korea to Queensland, Australia

The adoption of Korean children has played a significant role in the practice of intercountry adoption in Australia since the 1970s and represents the majority of overseas born children adopted into Australia. Its influence on policy and practice is explored in this thesis through the Queensland experience. From its outset the adoption of children from overseas has been characterised by polarised perspectives and vested interests. Actor Network Theory, the theoretical lens through which this phenomenon is viewed, allows for the exploration of controversies and multiple perspectives that have featured in over thirty years of Korean intercountry adoption practice in Australia. This thesis aims to identify which actor networks were influential in the emergence, diffusion and continuation of Korean intercountry adoption; and to explore the translations, an important concept in Actor Network Theory, and the tactics used by these networks to spread particular discourse to meet network goals. The methodology is qualitative and approaches Korean intercountry adoption as a case study. The data corpus, collected from 2004 to 2007 comprised text and interviews. Text included Queensland government archival records; submissions provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services Overseas Adoption in Australia 2005 and public hearing transcripts; parliamentary documents; media reports; computer-mediated communications such as internet sources and email discussion groups. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from interest groups and organisations with administrative roles in intercountry adoption practice in Australia. Korean intercountry adoption has proved influential in developing expectations concerning how intercountry adoption should be practised in Australia. Three actor networks, proponent, opponent and nonpartisan were identified during the diffusion and continuance periods. Actor Network Theory helped understand how the proponent network became dominant in the Australian context. A number of highly effective tactics have been used to expand and increase the influence of the proponent network through translations. However, a number of threats to continuation such as the growth of the opponent network and the promotion of Korean domestic adoption have emerged. Actors have responded to these threats in a number of ways. Detours have been proposed by proponent actors to help them reach their goals though these may bring unintended consequences. An Actor Network Theory perspective reveals the important role of the Internet; helps understand how controversies are created and perpetuated; how intercountry adoption has become politicised in Australia; and highlights the risks to child centred and knowledge based practice that politicisation brings. The significance of this study lies in the insights provided by exploring power interrelationships between actor networks and how these shape particular phenomenon, in this case, Korean intercountry adoption. Intercountry adoption in Australia is poorly understood at a macro level as are the controversies surrounding it. Its practice has been heavily influenced by the interests of the dominant network with scant attention to research in the local context. Actor Network Theory that allows for the inclusion of human and nonhuman actors such as the Internet has proven useful for developing contemporary understandings of such a complex, global phenomenon. These understandings provide opportunities for individuals, groups and governments to address controversy in ways than do not contribute to its perpetuation and to refocus their attentions on the factors that contribute to the relinquishment of children in the first instance. This thesis highlights how politically driven agendas that serve the interests of one network can marginalise voices that bring more complex understandings to the intercountry adoption phenomenon. An Actor Network Theory analysis exposes the lack of investment by governments, organisations and individuals in community programs and services that address the causes of child relinquishment and empower Korean families and communities to seek their own solutions

Controversy and its implications for the practice of contemporary social work in intercountry adoptions: A Korean-Australian case study

Korean-Australian intercountry adoption has been practiced for 30 years. This longevity provides unique opportunities to develop critical perspectives on a complex, global practice. This paper presents understandings drawn from a study that explores Korean intercountry adoption using Actor Network Theory. It argues that the practice of intercountry adoption in Australia has been shaped by adoption-driven influences and characterised by controversy and competing discourses. It concludes that contemporary understandings necessitate a global, contextual, and critical view that is inclusive of emerging voices and alternate discourses. The challenge for practitioners and policy makers is to ensure the complex nature of the phenomenon is understood by all stakeholders. This will involve remaining child-focused, promoting multilevel interventions, incorporating research findings, and resisting wholly positive discourse that promotes singular perspectives. An awareness of how the internet is used to forge networks and promote discourses is crucial in ensuring multiple perspectives are considered in this contentious practice field. © 2010 Australian Association of Social Workers

Constructing identities and issues of race in transnational adoption: the experiences of adoptive parents

Transnational adoption requires adoptive parents to negotiate complexities concerning difference and belonging within the family. Transnational adoption is mediated through societal and governmental prescriptions of suitability that include willingness and competency to raise children to maintain connections to their birth heritages. Tensions in the formation of parental identities are located in different racial, ethnic, cultural and class-based backgrounds to the children they adopt. This contrasts against dominant models of family where constructions of belonging are based on biological ties. A qualitative study of thirty-five Australian adoptive parents explored reflections on adoption processes and how the complex task of performing suitability was negotiated. Theoretical understandings were developed using a grounded theory approach. Contemporary social theory with a focus on race, cosmopolitanism and families further developed emergent theoretical understandings during analysis. Tensions in identity formation are discussed. The paper concludes that issues of race in identity formation are marginalised

‘Troubled’ or ‘disadvantaged’ families?: In conversation with Sue Bond-Taylor [Podsocs Episode 76]

Troubled Families programs have been introduced in England for those most ‘troubled’ families. Sue Bond-Taylor discusses an evaluation of one these programs and the differences between political and practice meanings of words like empowerment and troubled

Review of sociological literature on intercountry adoption

This review surveys sociological literature on intercountry adoption from 1997 to 2010. The analysis finds a preponderance of literature from the United States, reflecting its place as a major receiving country, and a focus on adoption experience organised by reference to the adoption triad: adoptive parents, adoptees, birth families. Reflecting the power imbalances in intercountry adoption, the voices and views of adoptive parents dominate the literature. There is an emerging literature generated by researchers who are intercountry adoptees, while birth families remain almost invisible in this literature. A further gap identified by this review is work which examines intercountry adoption as a global social practice and work which critically examines policy

Introducing Social Work in Health Emergencies

Chapter 1 introduces social work in health emergencies and discusses key public health concepts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the science and the language of public health and being able to communicate these understandings at all ecological levels are key to practising public health social work. In this chapter, Jonathan Dickens offers insights into the impact of COVID-19 in different welfare regimes and a model of state responses, the implications of which play out alongside pandemic politics and offer clarity to the compelling global story of practice and innovation depicted in this book