Korean Adoptees and the Social Context of Ethnic Exploration1

In this article, the authors examine ethnic identity development among Korean adoptees and the ways they explore their ethnicity in early adulthood. They argue that social context plays an important role in mediating whether and how adoptees pursue ethnic exploration. Employing a grounded theory analysis of a uniquely representative sample of Korean adoptees, they find that historical period and institutional setting shape the availability, content, and experience of exploration. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for research on racial stratification, ethnic assimilation, ethnic identity, and transracial adoptees.