A construção do abandono como traço identitário dos filhos adotivos

Abstract

Adoption is a complex and multifaceted subject. For historical and cultural reasons, it has sometimes been reported that adopted children are living a drama and have abandonment issues. According to Discursive Social Psychology and Post-structuralism theorists, identities are constructed through social and discursive practices, negotiated and disputed by different discourses. Thus, we analysed the discourses of the media and of people who work in favour of children adoption, trying to understand their positioning regarding the so-called relation between adoption and abandonment in the identities of adopted children, and the kind of arguments behind these positions. We arranged semi-structured interviews with members of two support groups for adoption (GAA), and collected material available on the National Association of Adoption Support Groups (ANGAAD) site and news published by the Folha de S. Paulo. For the analysis, we used the theoretical and methodological framework of Discursive Social Psychology, which gives special attention to the actions performed through the use of language. The results demonstrate that abandonment is constructed as a central attribute in the identity of adopted children, especially in the media, but it is presented more ambiguously in the narratives of the adoption support groups.