Adoption Uncovered

There is a lot of debate that centers around women who relinquish their children. We talk about who they might be and why they might be making the decisions they are, often without any insight into the reality of their experience. One of the reasons we guess is that there isn’t a lot of readily available scientific research to shed light on who these women are beyond anecdotes and assumptions. Gretchen Sisson has done a great deal to close this gap in our knowledge. She is a sociologist who has chosen as her focus of study to look into abortion and adoption-related issues. After hundreds of interviews with women who have chosen to relinquish their children for adoption she has written a book about her findings. Gretchen is doing her part to introduce us to the lives of these women and help us understand what they are thinking. We can see that these women tell us stories not only about themselves and their families, but also about society and how our systems interact with women in the vulnerable position of an unplanned pregnancy. Get ready to challenge some of your beliefs about adoption in this conversation with Gretchen Sisson.

Find out more about Gretchen at her website here.

Her book, relinquished can be found on Amazon here or other booksellers.

If you would like to read more about the Turnaway Study, that book is available here.