'Comparing': A grounded theory of adoptive mothers' lay beliefs about genetics

Applications from genetic science will be of increasing importance to families. However, "experts" (e.g., researchers, medical practitioners, and counselors) likely will have to provide information, screening and other services to family members who have existing complex beliefs about genetics. Adoptive families will be key contexts for such challenges, as they are raising children who are not their genetic offspring. There is scant evidence, however, about the meaning of genetics in the adoptive family context from the perspective of the insiders experiencing it first-hand. This dissertation's aim was to address this paucity of knowledge. A lay theory approach was taken to explore adoptive mothers' beliefs about the role that genetics plays in their children's development and in their family relationships. Data were analyzed from the second wave of the Minnesota-Texas Adoption Research Project (MTARP). A pilot study was conducted with the entire adoptive parent sample (334 interview transcripts), as well as with subsamples of adoptive mothers (26) and fathers (29). Results indicated that parents did spontaneously discuss genetics even though the original research study was not designed to explore this topic, thus suggesting the feasibility of further analysis. Grounded Theory Methods were used in a qualitative secondary analysis of interview transcripts from 37 adoptive mothers of adolescents. Results indicated that mothers discussed genetics in the context of three cognitive and behavioral parenting tasks: evaluating and responding to information about their children, accounting for similarity and difference they perceived in their family experience, and drawing circles of pathology and virtue encompassing children and their birth family members. Beliefs often were characterized by a complex explanatory structure that included observations linking targets with phenomena, and appeals to additional sources of expertise. Comparing, was the central process adoptive mothers used to evaluate and discuss their observations of their children and family life; develop and describe their beliefs about genetics; and (often) assesses and report their reactions to or stance towards these observations and beliefs. Findings are discussed as contributing to further research, practice and policy making in which knowledge of genetics will be greatly informed by research participants' and clients' "inexpert" beliefs.