In this episode, we talk with sociologist Gretchen Sisson about her book Relinquished and how adoption decisions are shaped by poverty, policy, and cultural ideas about who is “worthy” to parent. We discuss pushback that adoption is inherently altruistic, noting high demand for babies and predatory market incentives. The conversation also connects adoption to foster care, racialized histories, and reproductive justice.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:41 Gretchen’s Origin Story
03:49 Teen Parenthood and Poverty
07:26 Adoption Pushback and Myths
12:19 Centering Children Over Adults
15:13 Foster Care and Repro Justice
19:13 Race and the Adoption Market
22:19 How to Get Involved
23:58 Next Projects and Wrap Up
Gretchen’s Book
Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood
Other Books Mentioned
Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--And How Abolition Can Build a Safer World by Dorothy Roberts
A Place Called Home by David Ambroz
