Third culture kid (TCK)
A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a child who has spent a significant part of their formative years living in a culture different from their parents' homeland and their birthplace. This experience often leads TCKs to develop a unique identity that blends elements from their birth culture and the various cultures they encounter during their upbringing. TCKs typically come from families that move due to international work, military assignments, or other global circumstances, which can include transnational marriages.
The concept of TCK was first introduced by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem in the 1950s, stemming from her observations of American families in India. TCKs may exhibit traits such as independence, self-reliance, and adaptability, often speaking multiple languages and having a broad understanding of global issues. However, the frequent relocations can also lead to feelings of anxiety and identity confusion, as TCKs grapple with questions about where they truly belong.
They may find it challenging to connect with peers who have not shared similar experiences and may feel that home is both nowhere and everywhere at once. The complexities of their multicultural experiences shape their identities and relationships throughout their lives, influencing how they view themselves in relation to the world.
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Third culture kid (TCK)
A third culture kid (TCK), also called a global nomad or a transcultural kid, is a child who has spent much of his or her early life living in a culture that is different from his or her parents' homelands and his or her birthplace. The term third culture comes from combining a person's birth culture (including his or her parents' birthplaces) with his or her adopted culture or cultures. TCKs usually are children of parents who work internationally, serve abroad in the military or religious missionaries, or have entered transnational marriages. An example of a TCK includes a child born in China to a father from Iraq and a mother from India but is raised in France where his or her parents work. US president Barack Obama is considered a TCK; he was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and American mother and then moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, and then back to the United States.
Background
US sociologist Ruth Hill Useem coined the term third culture kid in the 1950s to describe children who do not assimilate with their birth culture but have adopted a blend of cultures from places where they have lived and were raised. During the 1950s, Useem, her husband, John Useem, and their three children spent time living in India, where the sociologists studied American families—specifically the children of the families—living in the country. The experience led Useem to create a term for these people who seemed to develop a third culture apart from their parents' birth culture (first culture) and their own birth culture (second culture) because of where they were living.
Useem began researching and writing about TCKs in the 1960s. As part of her research on the subject, she traveled to numerous countries throughout her career. She presented these findings as a teacher, speaker, and writer and centered her work on understanding people in their social, cultural, and economic settings. Useem also developed courses and educational plans for TCKs. One of her largest projects focused on how being a TCK affected a person once he or she reached adulthood, using analysis from self-administered questionnaires. Since Useem began her work in the field, many others have continued to study TCKs and their blended cultures.
Overview
An individual who spends part of his or her formative years ingrained in another culture is likely to be assimilated into that culture. The person does not forsake his or her birth culture for this culture or cultures but usually sees his or her identity as a mix of the different cultures. The culture with which an individual identifies depends on several factors, including the age at which he or she entered the new culture; how long he or she was immersed in this culture; and how involved he or she was in the culture.
For example, a girl who was born in Nice, France, is six years old when her English father, who is in the military, moves the family to Shanghai, China. The young girl spends the next decade living in China, where she grows up, learns to speak Chinese, makes friends, and attends school. By this time, the young woman identifies with the Chinese culture more so than her native French culture because of her experiences in the foreign country. Yet, she does not consider herself fully French or fully Chinese. This makes her a TCK.
Moving and living in multiple geographic locations has a huge effect on a person's identity and personality. TCKs typically are introverted, self-reliant, and independent. This can translate to leadership abilities as the person ages. They usually can speak more than one language; have a broader understanding of the world and foreign affairs; and are receptive to different cultures and people. In addition, frequent moving can teach people to be more flexible and open to change.
However, multiple moves can sometimes cause people to feel stressed or anxious. TCKs may experience a loss of their culture of origin even when they move back to their "homeland." Their "home" does not feel truly like home anymore as they are tied to other places and feel like outsiders. These TCKs typically continue to see home as a changing place and see characteristics of multiple cultures in themselves and their lives. Further complications arise when TCKs move from country to country, taking a piece of each culture with them. This can make TCKs question their identity—who they really are or where they belong.
Upon return home, TCKs may have difficulty making new friends who do not have shared similar experiences. Some TCKs may forgo close friendships altogether, so they do not have to experience the pain that comes with having to say goodbye to friends when or if they move again. Many TCKs seek out other TCKs like them. Children who move to environments in which war or violent crimes are the way of life may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when they are removed from these locations. Symptoms of this serious condition may even show up years later in adult TCKs.
When people ask TCKs where they are from or where their home is, TCKs may have difficulty answering. To many TCKs, the answer usually requires a list of places, ranging from their parents' home countries to the country where they were born to the place (or places) where they lived. For example, a TCK may have parents from Yugoslavia, been born in Puerto Rico, and lived in Japan, Mexico, and the United States. Being a TCK can cause some individuals to feel like home is both nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
Bibliography
Faye, Ndéla. "Am I Rootless, or Am I Free? 'Third Culture Kids' Like Me Make It Up as We Go Along." Guardian, 9 Mar. 2016, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/09/third-culture-kid-identity-different-cultures. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
Jones, Natalie. "The Not-So-Glamorous Life of a Third Culture Kid." AC Voice, 26 Mar. 2016, acvoice.com/2016/03/26/the-not-so-glamorous-life-of-a-third-culture-kid. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
Makhijani, Pooja. "Please Don't Call My Child a Third Culture Kid." Wall Street Journal, 21 Apr. 2016, blogs.wsj.com/expat/2016/04/21/please-dont-call-my-child-a-third-culture-kid. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
Mayberry, Kate. "Third Culture Kids: Citizens of Everywhere and Nowhere." BBC, 18 Nov. 2016, www.bbc.com/capital/story/20161117-third-culture-kids-citizens-of-everywhere-and-nowhere. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
"TCK World Proudly Presents: Dr. Ruth Hill Useem—the Sociologist/Anthropologist Who First Coined the Term 'Third Culture Kid' ('TCK')." TCK World, www.tckworld.com/useem/home.html. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
Thompson, Gabriella. "Being a 'Third-Culture Kid.'" MTV, 9 Dec. 2016, www.mtv.com/news/2961248/being-a-third-culture-kid. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
West, Blandine. "The 10 Biggest Struggles for a Third Culture Kid." Telegraph, 11 Feb. 2016, www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/education-and-family/the-10-biggest-struggles-for-a-third-culture-kid. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.
"What Is a TCK?" TCK World, www.tckworld.com/tckdefine.html. Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.