Birth fathers' perspectives on the
adoption of their children from care:
Fathering in a tight cornerJohn Clifton PhD student
University of East Anglia
Presentation outline Outline of research proposal Pilot study findings from 2007 Some sensitising concepts The project 8 months in:
observations from early data and discussion
Outline of proposal: The problem
Hard to reach group of fathers not catered for by agencies. Their needs neglected and their importance to their children overlooked
The purpose: clarify birth father perspectives enabling better understanding and service delivery
Research question: “What perspectives and experiences do birth fathers of children adopted from care have in relation to their child's adoption?”
Outline of proposal: The background
The literature: a few international studies of birth fathers
Several studies of UK birth mothers (e.g. Bouchier et al 1991)
One major UK study by Clapton (2003) of birth fathers
Outline of proposal: The background
Clapton’s fathers and the earlier adoption paradigm
Changes since Clapton’s study: Clapton’s fathers: children
relinquished Current fathers: mostly care
proceedings (Neil 2000)
Outline of proposal: The background
Change in type of birth fathers: The boy next door vs. the “troubled
and troublesome” Clapton’s fathers could not look after
their children Current fathers should not look after
their children Current fathers have more rights but
hard to engage to exercise rights
Outline of proposal: The background
Legal changes: Changes in parental responsibility Changes in adoption support
requirements and provision Gender Equality duty Changes in expectation regarding
father involvement Better understanding of adopted
children’s identity needs (e.g. Wrobel & Neil 2009)
Outline of proposal: The background Birth parents important in their own
right and for their children Needs and experiences of birth
mothers recognised in the 80’s Birth fathers needs beginning to be
recognised in 90’s- “could nots” New more socially excluded group
of birth fathers- “should nots” Commonalities: long term feelings
of loss; effects on parent’s later life and welfare of adopted child.
Outline of proposal: The design
Methodology: qualitative Sample: 20 subjects (of which 8
interviewed at present) Philosophical approach: social
constructivist Data collection: audio recording and
transcribing and observation Analysis: grounded theory
procedures
Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Acute and continuing sense of loss and
worry re child overwhelmed and disadvantaged by the
care proceedings Several focussed on the possibility of
meeting their child again
Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Many have unresolved adoption related
issues Persistence needed to reach these fathers Conventional counselling service seen as
irrelevant Fathers value a practical service and
chance to meet other birth fathers
Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Range of rationalisations and coping
strategies. The challenge: to get beyond victimology To understand fathers as active agents
Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Marsiglio et al (2005) asks where
fathering takes place How? By action/ behaviour or by
identity work? Studies of fathers in constrained
circumstances- in prison etc “Liminal” fathering and the attempt
to create, maintain father role in interstitial spaces
William Marsiglio
Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Accepting or transcending the
limits? Examples: taking pride in or
protecting their child from a distance.
“…Some crafted preliminary scripts for new fatherhood roles” (Roy, K in Marsiglio 2005)
Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Birth fathers are liminal Fathering in a tight corner Questions: How liminal? Where are the key
constraints? Differences between birth fathers’ situations.
To create/ maintain link or accept/ withdraw?
By action/ behavior or by identity work?
Sensitising concepts: Social worlds and active processes Strauss’s (1987) notion of
social worlds & arenas Individuals seen as
negotiating and strategising Using gerunds to code to
promote thinking about action and sequence -Charmaz (2006)
What are birth fathers thinking, feeling, doing?
What processes are involved?
Anselm Strauss
Kathy Charmaz
Sensitising concepts: active codes from pilot
Kicking off Worrying how
children will turn out
Postponing fatherhood
Putting the record straightLiving a day
at a time
Taking risks
Maintaining life affirming activities
Considering suicide
Avoiding dangerous emotions
Experiencing public shame
Tracking child's progress
Blocking intimacy
Respecting placement privacy
Limiting grieving time
Grieving for child
Observations from early data: Interviews Eight fathers interviewed between
March- May 2009 Semi structured (broadly
chronological) interviews lasting on average 3 hours
Additional demographic questionnaire
Observations from early data : Recruitment sources
2
adoption
support
agencies
loca
l rad
io in
terv
iew
1 3
social
networking sites
pre
viou
s U
EA
res
earc
h
1 p
artici
pan
t
1 local authority
Observations from early data : Participants 6 WB 2 other ethnicities Mean age 35 years All interviews in participants’
homes Varied English locations
Observations from early data:Thoughts/ feelings on care proceedings? Three fathers expressed extreme
anger about the removal of child Several more passive but feeling
overwhelmed; defeated; humiliated; betrayed (cf Mason and Selman 1998)
Two fathers critical but actively communicated with social services
All the fathers involved in the court process
Social networking and birth father militancy
Observations from early data:Father’s previous and current relationships Only one adopted child conceived
following “one night stand” One other where conception of the
child led father to move in with child’s mother
all others already living with partner.
3 very settled relationships
Observations from early data: Can I ever be a father again? Facing the risk of removal Accepting childlessness? Negotiating keeping a new child Thinking about leaving the country
to have a child Circumventing the authorities
through surrogacy
Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Most saw method of contraception as
women’s responsibility Two men angry with partners for
“deliberate” conception against their wishes
Another suspected partner of using him to get pregnant
Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Two “pulled into” live in relationship
to support mother and children against best judgement
About half accepted news of pregnancy passively
One did not believe in contraception
Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Men not actively taking
responsibility for contraception except sometimes to direct their partner to take the pill
Some men’s perception of partners’ “ulterior motives” in conceiving
Some birth fathers’ dilemma when paternal feelings kick in
Some birth fathers balancing partnership vs fatherhood
Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Some birth fathers continue to see
protecting their child as a continuing duty/ role “They’d be in front of their child
to protect that child…” “well the worst bit is you know
you can't protect them when you're not with’m…
Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child
“if he's in your care and something bad happened, you're there with him constantly. You can do your fatherly thing and protect your kid. But that was the good points were: you were in his life; you still get to do the stuff you were going to do anyway. But the bad points are—the bad point is: you can't protect him the way you could which—if that happen, then, that’s not right”
Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Protecting activity or thinking in
this sample: Taking part in care proceedings Trying to get the court to place
child with you or wider family member
Trying to protect child from child’s mother
Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Meeting the adoptive parents to
check whether you think they are suitable
Reading clues in the letterbox communication to ascertain child’s welfare
Tracing the child in placement and keeping the child under surveillance
Having face to face contact with child
Or alternatively accept that the possibility of protecting your child has gone and withdraw
Observations from early data: Issues & questions How do birth fathers play their
hands? Accept their liminality and throw
their cards in? Work at the interstices to create a
role? What action/ behaviour does that
include? What identity work?
Observations from early data: Issues & questions No clear given role How might roles created relate to
what adopted children might need from them?
What are the key constraints and limits?
Can adoption agencies/ ASAs help birth fathers in their search for a role?
Birth fathers' perspectives on the adoption of their children from care: Fathering in a tight corner
Your comments and questions
References Bouchier, P. Lambert, L, Triseliotis, J. (1991) Parting with a child for
adoption: The mother's perspective London: BAAF Charmaz, K (2006) Constructing grounded theory London: Sage Clapton, G (2003) Birth fathers and their adoption experiences London:
Jessica Kingsley. Marsiglio, W. Roy, K. Litton Fox, G (eds) (2005) Situated fathering: A
focus on physical and social spaces Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield Mason, K and Selman, P. (1997) Birth parents' experience of contested
adoption. Adoption & Fostering vol. 21 (1) Neil, E (2000) The reasons why young children are placed for adoption:
findings from a recently placed sample and a discussion of implications for subsequent identity development . Child and Family Social Work (2000) vol. 5 pp. 303-316
Strauss, A. (1987) Qualitative analysis for social scientists Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Wrobel, G. M. and Neil, E (eds) (2009)International advances in adoption research Chichester: Wiley Blackwell
Contact details John Clifton, PhD researcher, Centre for
Research on the Child and the Family, Faculty of Social Sciences, Elizabeth Fry Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Email: [email protected] Phone: 01206 524127 Mobile: 07980 868469 Webpage:
http://www.uea.ac.uk/swp/people/jclifton