Xhosa cultural attitudes in relation to adoption

Abstract

Xhosa culture has a strong aversion to breaking familial relationships by placing children in non-parental settings or orphanages, which may lead to limited legal adoption procedures in this cultural context. Their cultural values may also have a significant impact on the adoption process. This study, conducted in Mthatha in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, sought to describe Xhosa cultural attitudes in relation to adoption. The article used a two-pronged sampling approach, combining convenience sampling to easily access respondents and purposeful sampling to deliberately select individuals who met specific criteria relevant to the research objectives, using a cross-sectional descriptive design and a quantitative approach. A closed-ended paper-based questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes of the population to adoption. Descriptive statistics and mean scores were used to analyse the variable distribution and associated demographic characteristics. The article indicated a markedly positive attitude towards adoption among the Xhosa in Mthatha.