Abstract
M.A.
Transracial Adoption (TRA) was legalised in South Africa in June 1991. TRA is
a controversial issue all over the world. In the United Kingdom and United
States there has been extensive research on TRA related to many different
aspects of it, rendering a variety of conflicting results. Little research has been
conducted around TRA in South Africa to date.
This study was undertaken to research the relatively new phenomenon of TRA
in South Africa. The study was based on literature and research from overseas,
to identify how TRA in South Africa compares. The respondents of the study
were parents who have adopted transracially and social workers who have
been involved in TRA.
A hybrid of exploratory and descriptive study was conducted. Fourteen parents
and twenty-one social workers responded to the questionnaires. The primary
limitation being the small sample of respondents, however, due to the
population size being small this sample could be representative.
The results showed that people involved in TRA in South Africa are aware of,
and concerned about, very similar issues as those raised overseas. As TRA in
South Africa is still in its teething phase, valuable results emerged about how to
go about TRA, so as to make it most effective for all parties concerned.
Preparation for TRA, racial identity issues and recommendations for further
research were discussed according to results from the study.