An Examination of Various Aspects of Parent-Child Relationships in Adoptions Based on Kinship Ties

Abstract

According to the Turkish Civil Code, adoption procedures must be carried out by court order. This study examines adoption practices conducted without an intermediary institution, based on mutual agreement among close relatives, within the framework of open adoption. It focuses on the life experiences of the adoptive family, the biological family, and the adopted child from past to present. Adoption shaped by kinship ties and sustained social relationships is analyzed within its specific cultural context. The study explores the adoption process, family roles, and the effects of these dynamics on the psychosocial development of the adopted child.
A qualitative research approach was employed using a single case study design. Data were collected from ten participants through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and observation. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, and findings are presented through direct quotations.
The findings indicate that both adoptive and biological parents carried out the adoption process in accordance with the traditional cultural norms of the community in which they were raised. All participants were influenced by the surrounding ecological system. The adopted child was exposed to multiple parenting practices, and both the child and the parents experienced challenges within the family life cycle due to the lack of timely psychosocial support. Additionally, close residential proximity between families shaped interpersonal relationships, significantly affecting the child’s sense of belonging and identity formation.

Qualitative research techniques, phenomenological design, and descriptive analysis techniques were used as methods. An adoption case was selected for the research, and data were collected from 10 participants using in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, document analysis, and observation techniques; the obtained data are presented as direct quotations.

Findings: The adoptive and adoptive parents carried out the adoption process according to the traditional culture of the settlement where they were born and raised. All participants included in the study were affected by the ecological system surrounding them, the adopted child was exposed to the effects of multiple parents, and both the child and the parents struggled within the family life cycle due to not receiving the necessary support in a timely manner. At the same time, living in close proximity shaped all their relationships, significantly impacting the child's sense of belonging and identity perceptions.