Att utforska sitt ursprung: identitetsformande under adolescensen hos utlandsfödda adopterade: betydelsen av biologiskt och etniskt ursprung

Within the Eriksonian identity tradition, exploration of different life domains is crucial to identity formation. This is a process supposed to start during adolescence and develop in a social context. Most of the adopted children in Sweden, now in adolescence, are adopted from countries outside of Europe, which means that they neither share their biological nor ethnical roots with their adoptive parents. What does their origin mean to them? The purpose of the study has been: 1. to study the adoptees1 identity formation with respect to two life domains; biological and ethnical origin, reflected through: a) their thoughts of, and b) interest in biological origin, and c) their interest in searching for knowledge about their ethnic origin and d) their ethnic self-identity; 2. to study a-d in relationship to social conditions and attitudes in the adoptive family concerning the child1s origin, attitudes from the environment, and characteristics of the adoptees such as psychic health, self-esteem, sex, age, and ethnic origin. In the present study of 181 adoptees and their adoptive parents, semi-structured interviews and self-rating instruments have been used. Most of the adoptees were born in Asia and Latin America and were 13-27 years at the time of the interview. The material has been analysed with statistical and qualitative methods. To the adoptees, the significance of their origin varied from individual to individual and during different periods in life. Exploration of origin can reflect a normal identity development, but can also be an expression of an unsatisfactory life situation. A Swedish self identity seems to be unproblematic for adoptees born abroad. But they will probably encounter situations where they meet the same attitudes in society as do ethnic minority members, and will need strategies to handle these situations in order not to experience transgression. It is argued that the adoptee´s self-esteem, as well as openness about his/her origin from the adoptive family´s side is important for the process of identity formation