Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Kierstin Conaway |
|---|---|
| Title | Transnational Adoption and “Orphans” from China’s Perspective: A Culturally Taboo Topic |
| Department | East Asian Studies |
| Advisors | Shelley Chan, Lori Askeland, and Terumi Imai |
| Year | 2019 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (380 KB) |
| Abstract | When it comes to transnational adoption, it is usually more common to obtain the perspective of a country that received the children after they were adopted from their country of birth. This paper, consequently, seeks to explore the other perspective present in this international exchange: the perspective of a country that sends, or "loses," its children. The country of discussion in this paper is China, which is widely researched within the field due to a phenomenon known as China's "missing girls" during the period of the One Child Policy's implementation. By researching adoption and "orphans" from China's perceptive, it is obvious that there are several reasons, all of which include external pressure of some sort, that result in children being abandoned or sent to orphanages. These reasons—such as traditional Chinese culture, government involvement, economic instability of the birth family, etc.—are stimuli that directly affects the average person via creating agony and the fear of losing face. As a result, Chinese people that are involved could sensibly shy away from acknowledging and discussing the topic of "orphans" and adoption, making the topic appear as too sensitive to mention. Thus, this paper will argue that given China's history and culture, it is reasonable for the Chinese government and the sect of people directly involved to avoid discussing transnational adoption and "orphans." This discomfort, which instigates a complex array of emotions, becomes a reason to establish the two subjects as sensitive, taboo-like conversation topics in Chinese society. |
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