Det växer ju inte i magen men det växer i hjärtat
En kvalitativ studie om adoptivföräldrars erfarenheter av adoption
To investigate adoptions are part of the social worker's duties. The aim of our study was to examine some adoptive parents, to internationally adopted children, experience of adopting, the time before the adoption, the adoption process, and the time after the adoption. The study is based on qualitative interviews with seven adoptive parents. Theoretical frameworks that have been used are a phenomenological perspective, the dramaturgical perspective of Goffman and the theory of rites of passage.The result of our study shows that the adoptive parents have tried ?everything? to be-come parents in a biological way before they came to the decision to adopt. At first they were worried about the background of the child but after the adoption they think the worrying was unwarranted and becoming a parent through adoption was fantastic. The respondents describe that relatives have been important to them and in particular other adoptive parents. There are those who expressed that they have got a good treatment from the social workers and the social workers have been professional and courteous. At the same time there are those who expressed that the social workers gave unwarranted comments and had an arrogant manner. They describe that the inquiry was strenuous but an important thing to emphasize is that they can look back on it as a positive experience.