The Kinning of Foreigners

"...represents a thought-provoking contribution to the burgeoning literature on adoption, and will be a valuable resource for any who are currently working in this area, or in the fields of kinship or transnationalism in general." · Melissa Demian in JRAI

"Transnational adoption is growing phenomenon and Norway has led the way in its legal and social development. In this pioneering study, Norwegian scholar, Signe Howell, brings to the subject not only anthropological insight but the personal experience of an adoptive parent. Her remarkable book is based on comprehensive research both in Norway and in the countries of origin of adopted children, throwing new light on the way that the children identify as Norwegians despite the tendency of adults to associate with their birth places. Howell's findings are of great interest and significance for families and policy makers worldwide". · John R. Gillis, Professor Emeritus of History, Rutgers University

"Howell's fascinating work on transnational adoption provides real insight into its experiential, cultural, psychological and legal complexities worldwide and has important implications for our theories of kinship and personhood. Howell writes as an anthropologist, illuminating the topic by virtue of the comparative perspective she brings to it. The book deserves to be read not only by anthropologists interested in kinship, but by everyone who wants to understand children and to do what is best for them, including policy-makers, developmental and child psychologists, educators and social workers." · Christina Toren, Director, Centre for Child-Focused Anthropological Research (C-FAR), Brunel University.

"The Kinning of Foreigners takes the literature on adoption into an entirely new realm by linking theories of identity and of kinship to changes in the practices and ideologies of moving children from one nation to another. Based on intensive fieldwork in Norway and on a vast exploration of professional, legal, and "rights" literature, the book shows how rhetoric developed in the West forms understandings of the child, of family, and of kinship throughout the world-a modern version of imperialism. Throughout her scrupulous discussion of national and international policies, laws, and competing interests, Howell never loses sight of the intimate individual aspect of adoption. [ It ] insists that adoption, while guided by global economic, social, and diplomatic developments, is ultimately an affectingly personal experience that determines the life trajectories of everyone exposed to the arrangement. The book should be on the shelves of experts, scholars, lawyers, politicians-and, of course, any person who has ever had the exhilarating experience of kinning, or creating a relationship that permanently, transforms the self." · Judith Schachter [Modell], Carnegie Mellon University, Author of: Kinship with Strangers (1994; University of California), and A Sealed and Secret Kinship (2002; Berghahn Books)