Date of Award
12-2006
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Dr. Mark Orbe
Second Advisor
Dr. KathleenWong
Third Advisor
Dr. Leigh Ford
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
What becomes of the little boy who knows well abandonment and pain, yet simultaneously discovers predestinated purpose and unconditional love? This autoethnographical analysis examines the life of an adopted person who has spent his developmental years dealing with specific tensions associated with adoption and all that lie within. Using relational dialectics (Baxter, 1993,2004; Baxter & Montgomery, 1998) and existing adoption research (Carp, 2003; Herman, 2003), the author weaves his story of a history of tensions, a presence of negotiated relationships, and a future of hope with emerging tensions. Through a specific process of discovery and analysis; existing as well as new tensions emerge.
I make the argument throughout this analysis that the voices, and subsequent stories, of adopted people have been left ignored, and often muted in communication research. Additionally, I offer a re-conceptualization of a segment of the existing work on relational dialectics, and encourage that research "blur" the existing boundaries.
Recommended Citation
Terrentine, Timothy R., ""Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?:" An Autoethnographical Analysis of the Lived Experiences of an Adopted Person" (2006). Masters Theses. 5534.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/5534
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons