THE URBAN NEGRO AND ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.

THIS STUDY OF THE ATTITUDES OF NEGROES TOWARD THE ADOPTION OF NEGRO CHILDREN IS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH POTENTIAL ADOPTIVE COUPLES IN BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON, D.C. THE RESEARCH SOUGHT TO ASCERTAIN THE REASONS FOR THE VERY LOW ADOPTION RATE OF NEGRO CHILDREN IN THE TWO CITIES. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 484 ECONOMICALLY STABLE PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 TO 50, WHO HAD INTACT MARRIAGES AND EITHER NO CHILDREN OR ONLY ONE. DATA WERE OBTAINED ON SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, ON THE EXTENT OF KNOWLEDGEABILITY ABOUT ADOPTION, AND ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SOCIAL AGENCIES. MOST RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HISTORY OF THE NATURAL PARENTS AND ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE ADOPTIVE CHILD THAN ABOUT ANY OTHER FACTORS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PREFERRED SOURCES FOR ADOPTION, THE RESPONDENTS MENTIONED AGENCIES AND RELATIVES, MOST FREQUENTLY. CERTAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES SEEMED TO SHOW UP MORE CLEARLY THAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DIFFERENCES. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE BASIC LACK OF MOTIVATION TO ADOPT MAY BE RELATED TO THE VALUES OF THE SUCCESSFUL URBAN NEGRO. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN "CHILD WELFARE," VOLUME 41, NUMBER 9, NOVEMBER 1962. (NH)