Social institution paper

Adoption refers to the process where a person assumes the parenting of another from the person’s biological parents. Adoption does transfer all responsibilities and rights from the biological parent. Many people normally choose to adopt, and without adoption, most of the people’s lives would remain unfulfilled. Life does provide so many memorable moments, and adoption tends to be a good way for people who do not have children to get a chance to have a child. Adoption tends to provide people the opportunity to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives along with their children, and it also offers children an opportunity in life that was once thought unachievable.

Literature review

Children need support and nurturing from healthy, stable, and well-functioning adults. According to Lamb (2012), adoption tends to be important for infertile couples who seek children and those children in need of parents. Adoption does have consequences for the society in areas such as public welfare and mental health. The adopted persons normally lead lives that are not different from the lives of non-adopted people. Although they tend to have experiences that are unique to being adopted and sometimes, the experiences can have an impact on their lives. Adoption, when done right, tend to be an amazing opportunity for everyone involved and mostly a child who will be receiving a life that they truly deserve. Lamb (2012) state that the purpose of adoption is strengthening the families and enabling adults to have children of the necessary age and sex in the household. Adoption also helps in maximizing the social standing and the rank of the family. When a family adopts a child, it usually gives them the feeling of gratitude. Persons tend to have fulfillment from helping a child who is in need and mostly for those children who are in serious negative situations.

Adoption tends to be a social institution aimed at meeting the needs of children who are in need of families. The well-being of children is normally affected by their relationships with their parents, parent’s sense of security and competence, and also the presence of economic and social support for the family. The advantage of selecting adoption is the ability to be part of the child’s life and also fulfilling the dream of raising a child. For children, being provided a safe household and loving parent tend to be a benefit in itself (Fortune & Lal 2000). The most important thing is that the adopted person knows that they have parents who love them and the feeling that the child receives knowing they are loved tends to be immeasurable. Adoption normally provides those couples who did not have the chance of having children an opportunity of bringing up a child in a loving and caring family. It is a means in which couples can create a complete family with father, mother, and children. According to Mustin (2009), adoption also works to create a good environment where children without parents can enjoy having a mother or a father and also acquire some of the needs they have in life such as education and good health.

Theory

Adoption is taking into one’s family through the legal means and raising as one’s child. The functionalism theory sees the society as being a complex system whose parts work together in promoting stability and solidarity. Functionalists tend to identify several functions of families including socialization, reproduction, protection, emotional support, care, and the assignment of status (Bowie, 2004). The functionalists do understand people to have universal biological needs like nourishment, shelter, and protection. The society has shaped institutions and customs in response to these human needs and all the institution allow for the maintenance of the social status. In regards to adoption, it tends to provide the child with a permanent home and also a set of a parent who offers them nourishment, protecting, guidance, and shelter. The family also treats the adopted children as they would their biological child. The functionalists tend to view the family unit as being a construct that fulfills the important functions and also keeps the society running smoothly (Bowie, 2004). Adoption tends to keep children out of the orphanage, relieves the government of extra economic responsibility, and also keeps the children out of the foster homes. Through adoption, it allows the society to remain stable. Functionalists view the society as essential in keeping the society running smoothly through helping to adjust its members. Hence, based on the functionalist view, adoption tends to reinforce the social institutions such as marriage and structures like family (Bowie, 2004). It helps in maintaining social order through allowing the families to obtain a child while improving the conditions of life for the adopted children.

Conclusion

The family is not just a social group, but it is a social structure, and a family is a structure that is used in maintaining order. Therefore, adoption is not a dysfunction of the society as it helps in providing a safe home for children who are in need.

Reference

Lamb M (2012). Mothers, fathers, families, and circumstances: factors affecting children’s adjustment. Appl Dev Sci. 16 (2)

Fortune, K & Lal, B (2000).The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. University of Hawaii Press

Bowie, F (2004). Cross-cultural approaches to adoption. Psychology Press

Mustin, T. (2009). Adoption Turns Child's Life Around - cbs4denver.com. CBS4 Denver, Colorado Breaking News.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in nursing paper writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for Medicine Essay Writing.