Emotion work in black and white: Transracial adoption and the process of racial socialization

Abstract In this chapter, we use the concepts of emotional labor or emotion work to examine the experiences of transracial families – white families rearing Black adoptees. We focus on the emotion work done by the parents to inculcate and develop positive racial identities for their adoptive childre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inVisions of the 21st Century Family Vol. 7; pp. 43 - 75
Main Authors Jacobson, Cardell K, Smith, Darron T
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published United Kingdom Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2013
Emerald Publishing Limited
Subjects
Sociology
Sociology of the family
Sociology: family & relationships
Transracial adoption
emotion work
racial socialization
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Summary:Abstract In this chapter, we use the concepts of emotional labor or emotion work to examine the experiences of transracial families – white families rearing Black adoptees. We focus on the emotion work done by the parents to inculcate and develop positive racial identities for their adoptive children as their adoptees experience racial mistreatment. We also use the concept of white racial framing to examine strategies for effectively coping with racial mistreatment. African Americans have more emotion work than the members of dominant group because of their status as stigmatized minorities in American society. African Americans adopted by white families have even greater emotion work because they tend to have the extra burden of living in predominately white communities where there are fewer people of color to serve as positive role models in the socialization process.
ISBN:9781783500284
178350028X
ISSN:1530-3535
DOI:10.1108/S1530-3535(2013)0000007005