AbstractsCommunication

This study looks into the importance of open communication in transracial adoptive families in Denmark. In order to achieve this goal, the concept of adoption communication openness will be defined before introducing other relevant concepts and theories related to family communication process, communication openness in adoptive family, topic avoidance as well as transracial adoption theories. This report makes use of qualitative interviews with eight individuals – four adult transracial adoptees and four adoptive parents – who shared their experiences with communicating about adoption within their families, focusing on how and when the participants report engaging in adoption-related talk and how these ways have impacted their relationships to this day. This research supports the idea that open communication about adoption between adoptive family members has positive outcomes for the relationship between the members. The collected data combined with the theories help us validate this idea by showing a strong satisfaction and close relationships between the members who experienced adoption communication openness.