Exploring the Role of Religion in Cultural and Racial Socialization Among International Transracial Adoptive Parents

Background and Purpose:

This study explored whether being religiously affiliated was related to racial awareness, self-efficacy, and cultural and racial socialization practices among international transracial adoptive (ITRA) parents. Previous qualitative research has suggested ITRA parents’ religious views and practices may conflict with cultural and racial socialization practices. This study’s intention was to further our knowledge of whether there were differences in racial awareness, socialization self-efficacy, and cultural and racial socialization practices of parents in a religiously affiliated group and a non-religiously affiliated group.

Method:

This study employed a cross-sectional design. Qualitative and quanitative data were collected through an online survey of parents recruited from Families with Children from China, an ITRA parenting support group.  Of 486 parents that responded, 365 (75%) participated in the current study.  The majority of the parents in both groups were married White mothers older than 41 years, who were college-educated.

Based on participants’ responses to a question regarding religious affiliation participants were divided into a religiously affiliated group (n=307) and a non-religiously affiliated group (n=58).

Quantitative data included a total of 57 items from two scales: 1) the 10-item Socialization Self-Efficacy Scale, measuring parents’ motivation to provide racial and cultural socialization, as well as their beliefs in their ability to do so; and 2) the 47-item Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale – Revised, assessing racial awareness, and cultural and racial socialization practices.

Qualitative data were drawn from three open-ended questions inquiring about ITRA parents’ thoughts and/or strategies about racial awareness, cultural socialization, and racial socialization in relation to raising their adoptees (e.g., Have you experienced any activities or events in relation to culture and race that you believe were effective in raising your child?)

Results:

Chi-square analyses revealed that items for racial awareness, socialization self-efficacy, and cultural and racial socialization practices were endorsed similarly by the two groups. Both the religiously affiliated and nonreligiously affiliated groups were motivated and believed in their capacity for cultural and racial socialization practices. However, ITRA parents in the non-religiously affiliated group were more likely than those in the religiously affiliated group to engage in cultural and racial socialization practices that require interaction with people of their adoptees’ race.

Six of 58 religiously affiliated parents made comments identified as directly related to religion or spirituality. Three of these parents shared their thoughts about coping with racial differences by understanding and internalizing religious teachings, and about having a relationship with God or Christ.

Conclusions and Implications:

In comparision to previous qualitative studies, our findings from quantitative analysis were surprising in that no differences between the two groups were found. Our qualitative findings, however, also appear to suggest differences in the way that religiously affiliated and non-affiliated parents approach cultural and racial socialization. This study was an initial examination of religious afflilation and cultural and socialization practices of ITRA parents. Research should continue to examine the role of religion, religiosity, and/or spirituality in cultural and racial socialization among ITRA parents. Social workers’ cultural competence to work with such ITRA parents should be addressed.