First Advisor

Kenneth Ruoff

Date of Award

6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and University Honors

Department

History

Language

English

Subjects

unwed mother, baby scoop era, maternity, adoption, single mother, birth mother

DOI

10.15760/honors.1864

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of the phenomenon of increased adoption rates between the years of 1945 and 1973 and attempts to establish a cohesive explanation for and image of the experience of these birth mothers. My research found that adoptions during this time period are generally characterized by the utilization of maternity homes, coercion, and secrecy. The typical birth mother during this time was white and middle class, emblematic of the motivations of their adoptions: to maintain an idealist image of their motherhood and maintain socioeconomic status. Despite this position framed by privilege, these women too often report having limited to no autonomy in the actual decision to place their children for adoption. Given the sheer volume of at least 1.5 million non-familial adoptions, further research into this topic could create a new understanding of the story of reproductive history in America. However, research is limited due to challenges which I explore and attempt to overcome in this thesis.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44798

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