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    Blood ties : the labyrinth of family membership in long term adoption reunion : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) Browning, Julee A
    This thesis reports original research conducted with twenty adoptees, adopted under closed-stranger protocols, who have been experiencing regular post-reunion contact with their birth families for more than ten years. It examines the themes of the mothering role, family obligation and family membership to uncover how adoptees navigate their family membership within and between two families (adoptive and birth family). This study presents the thoughts, feelings and observations of the participants in their own words to convey a deeper understanding of their experiences. Drawing upon in-depth interviews, this study has sought to expand on earlier research focusing on the search and reunion and immediate post-reunion stages to examine the long-term experiences of adoptees in post-reunion. The principal finding is that reunited relationships have no predictable pathways and are approached with varying levels of ambivalence and emotional strain, and that there is no fixed pattern of family arrangements and relational boundaries. While closed-stranger adoptions and the subsequent reunions may eventually cease, this research may assist in understanding the issues surrounding the reunion between gamete (egg) and sperm donor's and their offspring in the future. KEYWORDS: Adoption Post-reunion, Adoptee, Birth Family, Family Membership, Family Relationships, Closed Adoption Reunion.
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    The unique experiences of Maori adoptive mothers in the 'closed stranger' adoption system : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Perkins, Valerie Maruru
    'Closed stranger' adoption in Aotearoa / New Zealand from approximately 1940 to 1990 involved the practice of a complete break between the birth mother and her child and the legal transfer of the child to adoptive parents. In Aotearoa / New Zealand between 1940 and 1990, 108,899 adoptions took place, and most consisted of ‘closed stranger’ adoptions. These adoptions have caused much joy as well as some heartache for parties involved in the experience namely, birth mothers, adoptees and adoptive mothers and their whānau. This thesis reports original research which aims to investigate the unique experiences of Māori adoptive mothers in the 'closed stranger' adoption period and enable the impact of legal adoption on these Māori women who have not previously warranted research, to be valued. A qualitative methodology, Māori-centred research and unstructured kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) interviews were utilized to gather data from six Māori adoptive mothers. The intention of Māori centred research as its name suggests, is to locate Māori people and Māori knowledge at the centre of the research action. A thematic analysis utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used. The unique experiences of Māori women legally adopting in the ‘closed stranger’ adoption system were about whānau business, and grouped under that superordinate theme were experiences of ‘not blood’, land succession, naming and caring for whānau. The stigma of adoption resonated throughout the women’s narratives. As well, most of these Māori adoptive mothers found that they experienced ‘closed stranger’ adoption as a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’.
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    The adoption of new prescription drugs is strongly associated with prior category prescribing rate
    (Elsevier, 18/12/2015) Stern P; Wright MJ
    We investigate whether doctors who adopt a new drug in its first year on the market tend to be heavier category prescribers. Early studies of pharmaceutical prescribing and packaged goods purchasing suggest that innovators are heavier category users; however, this finding has received little attention and the evidence remains sparse. We examine the adoption of 36 new drugs by doctors in the United Kingdom and find that, on average, the prior category prescribing rate of innovators is about 50% higher than that of non-innovators.