We are pleased to invite professionals, researchers, scholars, practitioners, and graduate students to submit papers and research manuscripts that address issues likely to impact individuals and families touched by adoption for the seventh biennial adoption conference at St. John's University. In keeping with our goal to present thought-provoking themes relevant to the training of mental health professionals as well as to the personal growth and understanding of adoption triad members, our 2012 conference will consider the implications of the phrase "best interests of the child" as it is commonly applied in child welfare and adoption.
The history of U.S. adoption is rooted in social reform movements to restore the morality of "fallen" women and to protect that of the nation. Now in the 21st century, we are witnessing an emerging religiously motivated movement to promote the "saving" and rescue of so-called orphans from the Third World to the First (or the global South to the global North). This conference will give special consideration to exposing the connections between race, racism, and the role played by religion in creating public understandings of children as needing rescue through adoption. We seek proposals particularly that address these connections, and that ask whether such religiously motivated understandings accurately reflect the "best interests" of adopted children—and the adult adoptees they will become.
The 2012 conference theme highlights both historical and emerging practices of adoption, with a critical eye toward whose interests have been served, are currently being served, and whose interests should be served. Papers and presentations should include some consideration of race and/or religion in adoption. Ideally, proposals will also address creatively the notion of rescue; however, this is not mandatory.
We are seeking presentations, papers, research posters, and workshops.
Please go to http://adoptioninitiative.org/ for more information.