Abstract
Establishing the context of this study of adoptive parenthood and open adoption, MacDonald describes the legal, policy, and social frameworks that shape the experience of adoptive parenthood. The role of adoption in child welfare policy is identified, specifically in the UK and USA where it provides permanence for significant numbers of children in State care. MacDonald also charts the development of open adoption, giving an overview of research on post-adoption contact. The study methodology, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. London: Sage, 2009), and its theoretical foundations in phenomenology and hermeneutics are summarised. Key ideas drawn from sociology of personal life, specifically family practices (Morgan, Family connections: An introduction to family studies. Polity Press: Cambridge, 1996; Rethinking Family Practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and imaginary (Smart, Personal life. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007), are introduced as a conceptual lens for the interpretative analysis and exploration of the interplay of experience, meaning, and discourse.