The Best Interests of the Child in Intercountry Adoption

323 Pages·2010·4.42 MB·English

Title Page

Title: The Best Interests of the Child in Intercountry Adoption: A Constructivist and
Comparative Account

Author: Sarah Sargent

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of a PhD degree in Law

The degree is awarded by De Montfort University

Submitted October 2009
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures i
Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iii
Chapter One- The Best Interests of the Child in Intercountry Adoption:
Introduction to a Comparative and Constructivist Research Project
Introduction 1

Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption 2
2005 Special Session and Guide To Good Practice 3
Child Welfare and Intercountry Adoption 8
New Ways of Looking at Intercountry Adoption:
A Review of Literature 13
Feminism 14
Post-Colonialism 16
Empirical Research 19

The Voice of Those Adopted Through
Intercountry Adoption 24

Normative Meaning and Normative
Usage of the Best Interests Standard 25
In Intercountry Adoption

Constructivism 26
Overview of Constructivism in International Relations 29
International Relations ‘Collateral Benefits’
of Intercountry Adoption Engagement ? 30
International law and International Relations 33
Network Theory 37
Conclusion 39

Chapter Two- Constructivist Methodology: Empirical Analysis
and Comparative Legal Analysis
Introduction 41
Statement on Ethics Approval 41
Methodology Used: Overview 42
Selecting a Paradigm 43
Research Paradigms 44
Positivistic Paradigms and Constructivist Paradigms 44
Selecting a Paradigm for Legal Research 45
Positive Law 46

The Place of Empirical Legal Research: A Pandora’s Box? 47
Methodology and Empirical Legal Research 52
Issues in Comparative Legal Analysis 54
Methodology and Comparative Legal
Analysis: ‘Incoherence’ 54

Functionalism 55
Other Methodological Approaches to
Comparative Legal Analysis 57

The Use of Constructivist Grounded Theory 63
The Decision to Use Grounded Theory 64
Doing Grounded Theory 70
Use of Computer Programs in Coding and
Analysing Data 74

Constructivist Grounded Theory as
Legal Methodology 75
Elite Interviewing and Constructivist
Grounded Theory 78
Interviews and Constructivist Approaches 79

Data Collection for Interviews 84
Selection of Interview Participants 88
Coding and Concept Building 90
Coding of Text 92
The Question of Theoretical Saturation 93
Thesis Data Collection 97

Justifying A Constructivist Grounded Theory
Approach to Intercountry Adoption Research 101

The Appropriateness of Comparative Law
an Inquiry Basis for Research Question 102

Inherent Comparative Elements in
Intercountry Adoption 102

Summary 104
Chapter Three—Interviews on Intercountry Adoption
Introduction 105
Relational Statement One 105
Relational Statement Two 106
Relational Statement Three 106
Relational Statement Four 106
Relational Statement Five 107
Discussion of Relational Statements 107
Intercountry Adoption Playing Field 109
What is on the menu? 109
Organisations 110

Carrying out Business Under the Hague
Convention on Intercountry Adoption 115

Conclusion 118

Chapter Four—Intercountry Adoption: A Comparative Analysis
of Seven States Using Constructivist Grounded Theory
Introduction
123
China: Introductory Overview 123

Relational Statement One 126
Relational Statement Two 127
Relational Statement Three 128
Relational Statement Four 128
Discussion 129
Guatemala: Introductory Overview 129
Relational Statement One 131
Relational Statement Two 132
Relational Statement Three 132
Relational Statement Four 133
Discussion 133

India: Introductory Overview 134
Relational Statement One 135
Relational Statement Two 135
Relational Statement Three 136
Discussion 137
South Africa: Introductory Overview 137

Relational Statement One 138
Relational Statement Two 139
Relational Statement Three 139

Relational Statement Four 139
Relational Statement Five 140
Relational Statement Six 140
Discussion 141
South Korea: Introductory Overview 141
Relational Statement One 142
Relational Statement Two 143
Relational Statement Three 144
Relational Statement Four 144
Relational Statement Five 145
Discussion 145
Sweden: Introductory Overview 146
Relational Statement One 147
Relational Statement Two 147
Relational Statement Three 148
Discussion 148

United States: Introductory Overview 149

Relational Statement One 150
Relational Statement Two 150
Relational Statement Three 151
Relational Statement Four 151
Discussion 152
Emergent Categories from Relational Statements 152
Internal and External Relations 154

Power Relationships and the Exchange
of Children in Intercountry Adoption 155
State’s Identity 157
Best Interests Standard 158

Chapter Five—Motivations for State Engagement in Intercountry
Adoption: A Constructivist Theory
Introduction 159
Explanation of Key Theory Concepts 161
Relationship between sending and receiving states 162
International Relations: The Goals 164
Common Elements 167
The Creation of a National Charter 167

Cultural Diversity: Multiethnic and
Polyethnic Forms of Cultural Plurality 172
Formation of National Identity 174

The Best Interests Standard
as an International Relations Policy 179
Sending State Synopsis 182
Cultural Trauma 182
Marginalisation and Exclusion 183
The Exclusion of Children 187
Kinning and De-Kinning 188

Intercountry Adoption Perpetuates
the Effects of Cultural Trauma 193

National Self-Esteem and
Self-Image of Sending Countries 194
Cultural Trauma in Sending Countries 195
Receiving State Synopsis 197
National Identity of Receiving States 198
National Type of Receiving States 199

Intercountry Adoption: Who Can be a
Member of a Receiving State 200
Conclusion 204

Chapter Six—The Best Interests of the Child in Intercountry Adoption: A
Constructivist Theory
Introduction 206
Theory statement 206
The Theory: Transnational Network of
Intercountry Adoption and the Best Interests
of the Child Standard 208

Understanding Normative Cycles 215
Three Phases of Normative Cycles 217

Stage One--The Creation of Norms:
Not From ‘Thin Air’ 217
Stage Two: Norm Cascade 218
Norm Meaning by Intercountry
Adoption State-to-State Dyad 220
Norm Meaning by Domestic Intercountry
Adoption Actors and International Actors 227
Transfer of Normative Meaning 230

Transfer from International
to Domestic Domains 230
Reasons For Norm Adherence 232

Conformity and Esteem 234
Stage Three—Internalisation of Norms 235

Creating Normative Legitimacy
for Meaning in Use 237
Reflections 245
Limitations 247
Future Research 248
Summary 253

Appendix A 258
Appendix B 280

Bibliography 286