Birth fathers' perspectives on the

adoption of their children from care:

Fathering in a tight cornerJohn Clifton PhD student

University of East Anglia

Presentation outline Outline of research proposal Pilot study findings from 2007 Some sensitising concepts The project 8 months in:

observations from early data and discussion

Outline of proposal: The problem

Hard to reach group of fathers not catered for by agencies. Their needs neglected and their importance to their children overlooked

The purpose: clarify birth father perspectives enabling better understanding and service delivery

Research question: “What perspectives and experiences do birth fathers of children adopted from care have in relation to their child's adoption?”

Outline of proposal: The background

The literature: a few international studies of birth fathers

Several studies of UK birth mothers (e.g. Bouchier et al 1991)

One major UK study by Clapton (2003) of birth fathers

Outline of proposal: The background

Clapton’s fathers and the earlier adoption paradigm

Changes since Clapton’s study: Clapton’s fathers: children

relinquished Current fathers: mostly care

proceedings (Neil 2000)

Outline of proposal: The background

Change in type of birth fathers: The boy next door vs. the “troubled

and troublesome” Clapton’s fathers could not look after

their children Current fathers should not look after

their children Current fathers have more rights but

hard to engage to exercise rights

Outline of proposal: The background

Legal changes: Changes in parental responsibility Changes in adoption support

requirements and provision Gender Equality duty Changes in expectation regarding

father involvement Better understanding of adopted

children’s identity needs (e.g. Wrobel & Neil 2009)

Outline of proposal: The background Birth parents important in their own

right and for their children Needs and experiences of birth

mothers recognised in the 80’s Birth fathers needs beginning to be

recognised in 90’s- “could nots” New more socially excluded group

of birth fathers- “should nots” Commonalities: long term feelings

of loss; effects on parent’s later life and welfare of adopted child.

Outline of proposal: The design

Methodology: qualitative Sample: 20 subjects (of which 8

interviewed at present) Philosophical approach: social

constructivist Data collection: audio recording and

transcribing and observation Analysis: grounded theory

procedures

Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Acute and continuing sense of loss and

worry re child overwhelmed and disadvantaged by the

care proceedings Several focussed on the possibility of

meeting their child again

Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Many have unresolved adoption related

issues Persistence needed to reach these fathers Conventional counselling service seen as

irrelevant Fathers value a practical service and

chance to meet other birth fathers

Interim findings from the 2007 pilot Range of rationalisations and coping

strategies. The challenge: to get beyond victimology To understand fathers as active agents

Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Marsiglio et al (2005) asks where

fathering takes place How? By action/ behaviour or by

identity work? Studies of fathers in constrained

circumstances- in prison etc “Liminal” fathering and the attempt

to create, maintain father role in interstitial spaces

William Marsiglio

Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Accepting or transcending the

limits? Examples: taking pride in or

protecting their child from a distance.

“…Some crafted preliminary scripts for new fatherhood roles” (Roy, K in Marsiglio 2005)

Sensitising concepts: Situated fathering Birth fathers are liminal Fathering in a tight corner Questions: How liminal? Where are the key

constraints? Differences between birth fathers’ situations.

To create/ maintain link or accept/ withdraw?

By action/ behavior or by identity work?

Sensitising concepts: Social worlds and active processes Strauss’s (1987) notion of

social worlds & arenas Individuals seen as

negotiating and strategising Using gerunds to code to

promote thinking about action and sequence -Charmaz (2006)

What are birth fathers thinking, feeling, doing?

What processes are involved?

Anselm Strauss

Kathy Charmaz

Sensitising concepts: active codes from pilot

Kicking off Worrying how

children will turn out

Postponing fatherhood

Putting the record straightLiving a day

at a time

Taking risks

Maintaining life affirming activities

Considering suicide

Avoiding dangerous emotions

Experiencing public shame

Tracking child's progress

Blocking intimacy

Respecting placement privacy

Limiting grieving time

Grieving for child

Observations from early data: Interviews Eight fathers interviewed between

March- May 2009 Semi structured (broadly

chronological) interviews lasting on average 3 hours

Additional demographic questionnaire

Observations from early data : Recruitment sources

2

adoption

support

agencies

loca

l rad

io in

terv

iew

1 3

social

networking sites

pre

viou

s U

EA

res

earc

h

1 p

artici

pan

t

1 local authority

Observations from early data : Participants 6 WB 2 other ethnicities Mean age 35 years All interviews in participants’

homes Varied English locations

Observations from early data:Thoughts/ feelings on care proceedings? Three fathers expressed extreme

anger about the removal of child Several more passive but feeling

overwhelmed; defeated; humiliated; betrayed (cf Mason and Selman 1998)

Two fathers critical but actively communicated with social services

All the fathers involved in the court process

Social networking and birth father militancy

Observations from early data:Father’s previous and current relationships Only one adopted child conceived

following “one night stand” One other where conception of the

child led father to move in with child’s mother

all others already living with partner.

3 very settled relationships

Observations from early data: Can I ever be a father again? Facing the risk of removal Accepting childlessness? Negotiating keeping a new child Thinking about leaving the country

to have a child Circumventing the authorities

through surrogacy

Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Most saw method of contraception as

women’s responsibility Two men angry with partners for

“deliberate” conception against their wishes

Another suspected partner of using him to get pregnant

Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Two “pulled into” live in relationship

to support mother and children against best judgement

About half accepted news of pregnancy passively

One did not believe in contraception

Observations from early data:Conception & the consequences Men not actively taking

responsibility for contraception except sometimes to direct their partner to take the pill

Some men’s perception of partners’ “ulterior motives” in conceiving

Some birth fathers’ dilemma when paternal feelings kick in

Some birth fathers balancing partnership vs fatherhood

Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Some birth fathers continue to see

protecting their child as a continuing duty/ role “They’d be in front of their child

to protect that child…” “well the worst bit is you know

you can't protect them when you're not with’m…

Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child

“if he's in your care and something bad happened, you're there with him constantly. You can do your fatherly thing and protect your kid. But that was the good points were: you were in his life; you still get to do the stuff you were going to do anyway. But the bad points are—the bad point is: you can't protect him the way you could which—if that happen, then, that’s not right”

Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Protecting activity or thinking in

this sample: Taking part in care proceedings Trying to get the court to place

child with you or wider family member

Trying to protect child from child’s mother

Observations from early data: Being a birthfather – protecting your child Meeting the adoptive parents to

check whether you think they are suitable

Reading clues in the letterbox communication to ascertain child’s welfare

Tracing the child in placement and keeping the child under surveillance

Having face to face contact with child

Or alternatively accept that the possibility of protecting your child has gone and withdraw

Observations from early data: Issues & questions How do birth fathers play their

hands? Accept their liminality and throw

their cards in? Work at the interstices to create a

role? What action/ behaviour does that

include? What identity work?

Observations from early data: Issues & questions No clear given role How might roles created relate to

what adopted children might need from them?

What are the key constraints and limits?

Can adoption agencies/ ASAs help birth fathers in their search for a role?

Birth fathers' perspectives on the adoption of their children from care: Fathering in a tight corner

Your comments and questions

References Bouchier, P. Lambert, L, Triseliotis, J. (1991) Parting with a child for

adoption: The mother's perspective London: BAAF Charmaz, K (2006) Constructing grounded theory London: Sage Clapton, G (2003) Birth fathers and their adoption experiences London:

Jessica Kingsley. Marsiglio, W. Roy, K. Litton Fox, G (eds) (2005) Situated fathering: A

focus on physical and social spaces Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield Mason, K and Selman, P. (1997) Birth parents' experience of contested

adoption. Adoption & Fostering vol. 21 (1) Neil, E (2000) The reasons why young children are placed for adoption:

findings from a recently placed sample and a discussion of implications for subsequent identity development . Child and Family Social Work (2000) vol. 5 pp. 303-316

Strauss, A. (1987) Qualitative analysis for social scientists Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Wrobel, G. M. and Neil, E (eds) (2009)International advances in adoption research Chichester: Wiley Blackwell

Contact details John Clifton, PhD researcher, Centre for

Research on the Child and the Family, Faculty of Social Sciences, Elizabeth Fry Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ

Email: j.clifton@uea.ac.uk Phone: 01206 524127 Mobile: 07980 868469 Webpage:

http://www.uea.ac.uk/swp/people/jclifton