Exploring Transracial Adoptees’ Experiences of Developing Adoption Consciousness

The Adoptee Consciousness Model (ACM) describes the ways adoptees make sense of and/or experience adoption. Informed by critical consciousness theories, the ACM includes five touchstones that describe adoptees’ understanding of their adoption: (1) status quo, (2) rupture, (3) dissonance, (4) expansiveness, and (5) agency. Three focus groups (n = 23) were conducted to answer the question: How do transracially adopted persons experience the adoptee consciousness touchstones? The researchers applied a directed qualitative content analysis methodology to support and confirm the model. Participants described their processes of coming to critical adoption consciousness; experiences that primed them for critical reflection, the information that created a sense of disequilibrium (rupture events), ways they revised frames of reference (through dissonance and expansiveness), and developing personal and collective agency and empowerment. Based on participant’s data, the original touchstone of forgiveness and activism was revised to agency to more accurately reflect participants’ articulation of the touchstone. Understanding the ACM has implications for adoptees’ mental health and identity development.