CHILD FOSTERAGE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHILD LIVING CONDITIONS By TESS MARIE KULSTAD GONZALEZ A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2006 Copyright 2006 by Tess Marie Kulstad Gonzalez To my Papi, Bob Kulstad, whose life continues to inspire and be the source of tremendous pride. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I extend sincere gratitude to the children, mothers, fathers and grandparents who provided me with their time, voice and story. I have written this work so that their reality is revealed and understood. The journey of this study has been one of academic and personal development. Without the guidance of my committee, Dr. Gerald Murray, Dr. Charles H. Wood, Dr. Efraín Barradas and Dr. Paul Magnarella, this journey would have been less meaningful. I am indebted to Professor Murray for introducing this project to me and providing me with the counsel to rediscover and explore the Dominican Republic. Since the beginning of my studies at the Center for Latin American studies, Dr. Wood has been a significant contributor to my academic development. His guidance has provided me the challenge to reach the highest standards and aim to become an academic writer and thinker. With great appreciation I thank the Center for Latin American Studies for providing me with the Interdisciplinary Field Research Grant. This funding made this study possible. I hope this thesis is a positive reflection of the trust granted to pursue research. Finally, I would like to thank my family for all they have done to help me reach this dream. In particular, I would like to thank my parents, Bob and Norma, for teaching me to love and pursue knowledge. Lastly, I would like to thank my husband, Matthew, for his patience, companionship, and insight throughout this fabulous, yet challenging journey. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: FROM ORNITHOLOGIST TO ANTHROPOLOGIST, A PERSONAL JOURNEY ..............................................................................................1 Child Fosterage as a Topic of Inquiry ..........................................................................4 Why Do Parents Give Up or Take In Children?....................................................6 Challenges to Traditional Family Models......................................................6 Cinderella Effect ............................................................................................7 Fosterage as Child Labor................................................................................8 Methodological Approaches.........................................................................................8 Quantitative Approaches .......................................................................................9 Combined Approaches ........................................................................................10 Qualitative Approaches .......................................................................................11 Research Design and Methodological Choices ..........................................................12 Methods ...............................................................................................................13 Participant Selection.....................................................................................14 Operational Definitions................................................................................14 The Realities of Fieldwork- Reconsidering Interview Strategies...............................17 Interviewing Children..........................................................................................19 Research Sites ..............................................................................................20 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................20 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................20 2 “LENDING” CHILDREN VS “GIVING AWAY” CHILDREN: THE OUTLINES OF DOMINICAN CHILD RELOCATION...........................................23 Loans vs. Gifts- Child Relocation Modalities .....................................................26 “Prestado” or “Lent” Children- Temporary Parental Guardianship Transfers .................................................................................................28 Prestado Fosterage in a Global Perspective.................................................29 Regalado or Given Away- Permanent Parental Guardianship Transfers.....29 Similarities..................................................................................................................32 v Foster Parent Responsibilities .............................................................................32 Foster Parent/Child Bond ....................................................................................38 The Language of Fosterage ..........................................................................39 Modes of Incorporation Into Dominican Homes: Trabajadoras Versus Hijos de crianza......................................................................................40 Analytically Borderline Cases of Labor Exchange. .....................................45 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................51 3 EXCHANGE OF COSTS AND BENEFITS: RIGHTS AND DUTIES IN THE DOMINICAN CHILD RELOCATION SYSTEM ....................................................52 Physical Needs: Food, Clothing, Shoes and an Education ........................................52 Education.............................................................................................................55 Schooling......................................................................................................55 Non-Academic Training...............................................................................56 Non-Academic Training for Daughters........................................................57 Non-Academic Training-Sons......................................................................59 Exchange of Costs and Benefits: What are the Children Required to Do? ................59 Childrearing Benefits: Labor and Forthcoming Love .........................................60 Forthcoming Love ........................................................................................61 Prestado vs. Regalado: Partitioning Childrearing Rights and Obligations................63 Prestado Parental Rights .....................................................................................63 Evaluating the Childrearing Process- The Hijo de Crianza Supervisory Process ....................................................................................................64 Visitation- Child Protection and Links to Biological Roots ........................64 Visitation Protocol........................................................................................65 Visitation in Regalado Arrangements- Exceptions to the Rules..................67 Termination- Ending the Fosterage Agreement ...........................................70 Termination in Regalado Agreements?- Exceptions to the Rule.................71 Kinship and Civil Identity- “Papeles” or “Papers”......................................72 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................72 4 WHY DO PEOPLE GIVE UP OR TAKE IN CHILDREN? .....................................74 Altruism or Self- Interest: Questions About Human Nature ......................................77 Crisis Fosterage ...................................................................................................81 Family Crisis ................................................................................................82 Death of Parent.............................................................................................82 Divorce or Separation...................................................................................83 Domestic Violence .......................................................................................89 Economic Crisis...................................................................................................90 Alliance and Apprentice Fosterage .....................................................................91 Affective Fostering..............................................................................................91 Infertility Fosterage .............................................................................................92 Domestic Labor Fostering ...................................................................................92 Social Networks- The Binding Element..............................................................93 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................94 vi 5 CARIBBEAN