Adoption Matters: Philosophical and Feminist Essays

by Sally Haslanger (Editor)

As a social and legal institution of family formation, and as a personal experience of members of the adoption triad, adoption provides a fresh vantage point on an important set of philosophical and feminist issues. The family is often thought to be the basic and natural form of social life for human beings; adoption, however, highlights the powerful role that law and politics play in shaping families and our ideas about families. As a result, attention to the practices of adoption sheds light upon deeply held, but often tacit assumptions about what is natural and what is social in human life." from the Introduction

The institution of adoption has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as the adoption world has undergone seismic shifts: the rise in international and transracial adoptions and the effects of global economics; adoption by gays and lesbians; increasing openness in the adoption process; and changes in domestic welfare policy on adoption.

Adoption Matters adds to our understanding of reproduction, parenting, and familial bonds, personal identity and selfknowledge, and contemporary social policy. The contributors to Adoption Matters explore a range of related topics, such as the manner in which interracial or international adoption affects the way we perceive the relationships among race, ethnicity, and culture and how class affects one s life prospects and choices.

Genres: Adoption, Philosophy

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2004

About the author

Sally Haslanger is Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Reviews

[Genae Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proves why it is important for people who are invested in certain issues to philosophize about those issues (contra conventional worries about rogue values influencing our philosophical inquiry). It is a marvel and an amazing feat.

My two favorite essays were Haslanger's "You Mixed?" and Leighton's "Being Adopted and Being a Philosopher" but all are excellent.