Who’s your Daddy? The untold adoption stories of South African men

Abstract

This journalism research project was motivated by the author’s personal investigation into her late father’s adoption. The report comprises two parts: a scholarly introduction, and a long- form journalism piece. Part 1 sets out the social and psychological context in which adoption in South Africa operates and the prevailing narratives and debates. It describes the representation of adoption as a “happily-ever-after” scenario, despite the dynamics of adoptive families differing from those of traditional nuclear families. Research shows that the adoptee, birth family, and adoptive family (the “adoption triad”) all experience seven adoption-related issues: loss, rejection, guilt/shame, grief, identity, intimacy/relationships, and mastery/control. These are the mostly untold stories of adoption, and they provide the framework for the personal investigation. Part 2 is the author’s personal story, which scaffolds and thematically advances the stories of the male adoptees, birth fathers, and adoptive fathers interviewed. This project reveals that adoption is a profound experience for the triad. The seven issues, innately human and universal, are best revealed through personal investigation and long-form journalism. This project contributes to research about men in adoption in South Africa by sharing their stories and makes the issues of adoption publicly accessible through long-form journalism.