Florida International
University

DEP 4046,
Pyschology of Adoption
Gordon Finley
Spring, 2000

TEXTS

This small undergraduate seminar offers three unique opportunities. First, if you are considering graduate school, it offers you a chance to participate in a graduate type seminar at the undergraduate level and gain experience for graduate school. Second, it offers the opportunity for comprehensive and in-depth examination of one topic from multiple perspectives. And third, for those interested in adoption, it offers the opportunity to study the topic from the perspectives of theory, research, and practice.

The seminar will meet once a week to discuss readings assigned for that week. The topic is timely because of increasing rates of infertility, decreasing availability of infants for adoption, increasing numbers of children in foster care, increased international adoptions, and increased controversy over "searching", "reunions" and openness in adoption. All of this has made adoption a hot topic in politics, the law, the media, the social sciences, behavior genetics, among all members of the adoption triad: birthparents, adoptive parents, and adoptees.

Seminar sessions will consist of a discussion of the readings assigned for that session. You should read carefully, think about, and come to each session prepared to discuss the readings and related theoretical, research, practice, intervention/clinical, and development issues. The amount of reading assigned is relatively light. You are, however, expected to think about and critically evaluate the materials. Most of the readings will come from the two assigned texts; some xeroxes will be given as handouts. And some xeroxes will be on reserve in the reserve room of the library.

Grading will be based one third each on: (a) seminar discussion; (b) a mid-term essay exam covering the first half of the course; and (c) a second essay exam covering the second half of the course. If you wish, you may write an optional paper of 10 to 12 double spaced pages which then will make everything count as one fourth of the grade. If you choose to write a paper, you should contact me early in the term for help in getting started.

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