The impending revolution : the prospect for openness in Korean-American adoptions
This thesis explores the potential for openness in international adoptions and, more specifically, in Korean-American adoptions. Open adoptions are becoming more common in the United States. More adoptees are also searching for their birthfamilies. These changes resulted from social evolutions that reduced the stigmas surrounding adoption and illegitimacy. Changes in domestic adoptions affect international adoptions because both international adoptees and their adoptive parents are exposed to the adoption rights movements in this country. It seems probable that international adoptees will desire contact with their birthfamily as domestic adoptees have. This thesis uses the trend toward openness in the United States and the regulations governing international adoptions to create a list of factors to be evaluated when determining if openness in an international adoption would be beneficial to all members of the adoption triad, specifically the birthmothers, and therefore, probable. It is important to recognize that a birthmother may not always benefit from an open adoption. These factors include residency requirements for the adoptive parents during the adoption proceedings; specific definitions of adoption; stigmatization of illegitimacy; reverence for blood ties; the national divorce rate; population control legislation; a women's health care movement; and an adoption rights movement or birthmother organizations. Evaluating the specific situation in Korea at this time, it seems unlikely that open adoptions are currently possible. However, many social changes, especially connected with the status of women in Korean society, are currently taking place that will likely make open adoptions possible in the future. Thesis Advisor: Sally Haslanger Associate Professor of Philosophy
Risks and Benefits of Open Adoption
Open adoption has both strong critics and staunch supporters. Most of the criticism and support is based on the philosophical or legal rights of members of the adoption triangle, but empirical evidence to support either position is sparse. This article reviews the arguments for and against openness, and the empirical evidence that supports or refutes these arguments. Research to date indicates that birthmothers commonly view open adoption positively. However, teenage birthmothers often are not developmentally ready to assess the long-term consequences of openness, and may be overdependent on the adoptive parents and immature in their contacts. Adoptive parents are generally favorable toward openness, but many feel that they were pressured to accept it in order to obtain a child. Many adoptive parents state that they are uncertain about what the future may hold in open adoption. The effect of open adoption on the children is least understood at present and demands further long-term research. The choice of open adoption should be made in the course of comprehensive counseling of birthparents and adoptive parents by trained professionals. Continued contact should exist only if ongoing support through postadoption services is extended to all parties, with particular attention to the interests of the children.
Nurse responsiveness to cancer patient expressions of emotion.
OBJECTIVE
This theoretically based study examined nurse responses to cancer patient expressions of emotion using a videotaped, simulated cancer patient.


METHODS
This study used an experimental crossover design with a videotaped patient expressing anger, sadness, and neutral emotion to elicit nurse responses. Seventy-four nurses from eight sites participated. Responses were coded using Roter interaction analysis system. Correlations explored relationships between variables that impact communication (age, gender, work experience, trait anxiety, work stress, self-efficacy). Regression models explored the effect of variables on nurse affective responsiveness.


RESULTS
Patient expressions of sadness elicited more affective responses than anger. Expressions of anger or neutral emotion elicited more instrumental behaviors than sadness. Variables such as age, work stress and work experience were significantly correlated. No variables predicted affective responsiveness to patient expressions of anger or sadness.


CONCLUSION
Nurse communication showed significant variation in response to patient emotional expressions. Understanding the relationships between demographic, personality, and work variables, and identification of new variables that influence nurse-patient communication, has implications for interventional studies.


PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Over 90% of the participants indicated that the videotape simulation would be a useful method for teaching and practicing communication skills with patients expressing emotions.