Performing the ideal adoptive parent in Swedish adoption assessment interviews

Abstract

ABSTRACT Assessment and evaluation of parenting ability are central tasks in social work. However, parenthood is a normative and morally bound practice, subject to cultural expectations about what constitutes ‘good’ parenthood. In adoption assessment interviews, prospective adoptive parents’ potential as parents is thoroughly examined, requiring adoption applicants to articulate their ideas about future parenthood. This study is based on authentic assessment interviews conducted in Sweden between social workers and prospective adoptive parent, in the context of an international adoption process. The article explores how ideals of adoptive parenthood are expressed and performed by prospective adoptive parents in their interactions with social workers. The findings show that adoption applicants present their suitability as parents based on references to children’s needs, specific personal characteristics, and envisioned future actions. The study supports previous research on idealized parental models in adoption assessments and provides insights into how these portrayals are shaped through interaction. Furthermore, the study raises questions about the governance of specific parenthood ideals and the limited opportunities adoption applicants have to express or explore alternative perspectives on parenthood.