TCK Identity

Have you ever heard of the acronym TCK? Do you know what it means? Are you feeling ready to work with TCKs? Well, heres some information to get you started. A TCK (Third Culture Kid) is someone whos spent most of his or her growing up in another culture(s) other than his or her parents. Ruth Hill Useem, the woman who created the term TCK, defines it as the following: A TCK describes young people raised in a country other than that of their parents. They blend the culture of their passport country with their country of residence and become truly multicultural, often finding it easier to relate to others who have lived abroad than to those who have stayed close to their roots. David Pollock, a renowned author and speaker on the topic of TCKs, defines the TCK as An individual who, having spent a significant part of the developmental years in a culture other than the parents culture, develops a sense of relationship to all of the cultures while not having full ownership in any. Elements from each culture are incorporated into the life experience, but the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar experience. The people who likely fit this description are from internationally mobile families. This applies to kids from academic, business, foreign service, military, or missionary families living overseas. Some people refer to kids whove grown up abroad as Global Nomads. Global Nomads are persons of any age or nationality who have spent childhood years living in one or more countries outside their country of passport because of a parents occupation . . . global nomads are members of a worldwide community of persons who share a unique cultural heritage. In addition, they often share similar responses to the benefits and challenges of a childhood abroad. Adults who return to their roots, or their homeland, are known as former expats (expatriates). You can be a former diplomat or a former missionary, but theres no such thing as a former TCK. A TCK is a TCK for life! Defining Third Culture Lets take a look at how some of these aspects blend together. We divide Third Cultureness into three categories; a) home culture, the culture inherited from your parents, b) host culture, the culture in which youre currently living and/or where youve lived, and c) third culture, the unique blend of home and host cultures. By definition, culture entails people. Therefore, the third culture is what TCKs have in common with each other (Pollock 1989). Its not a tangible place or society. Its more of a way of life, a bond with others who have had similar experiences. Advantages and Disadvantages Just as in any situation in life, there are advantages and disadvantages in being a TCK. Sociologists refer to a multicultural childhood as an open passport to the whole globe. Experts say that the TCK is the prototype for world citizenship of the future rootless, keenly adaptable, multilingual, and globally-minded. They have the opportunity to do very significant things in an ever-increasingly internationalized world (Pollock, TransWorld Radio 1987). The advantages that a TCK experiences cannot be obtained in any other way. Monocultural kids wont develop the linguistic and cross-cultural skills, nor the world view that
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TCKs do. Seems fairly obvious that the positives outweigh the negatives (Pollock). Let's take a look.

Assets
Growing Up generally more mature, have had more relationships with adults causing more sophisticated communication skills have learned to be more independent and autonomous because of the nature of mobility

Liabilities

may feel a little out of sync with peers of home culture (e.g. dating, school) often experience delayed adolescent rebellion by facing anger and loneliness in college, far from host cultures and family tendency to bargain with life, grieving a childhood that cannot be relived Relationships able to enter relationships at a guarded because of so many lost deeper and more intimate level relationships, may put up boundaries to because of practice and urgency intimacy, refusing to be vulnerable (knowing the time may be short) may distrust adults, danger of being value relationships cynical and mistrusting have a sense of realism about tendency to be emotionally dull relationships, that grief and loss once insulated and self-protected, happens to everyone vulnerable to loneliness independent and self-reliant, contributing in healthier ways to relationships
Language

typically speak more than one language, limited in any one language, because not find it easier to learn new languages entirely fluent vocabulary and forms of expression may be incomplete able to appreciate variation in logic and find difficulty with phonetics and thought present in other languages spelling stronger oral and written may be more easily confused with communication skills multiple languages may even have better ability to key into others learning styles

World View possess a third dimensional view, with feel the pain of reality (such as knowledge, understanding and empathy starvation, poverty, destruction), for various perspectives on life frustration that others dont share the same world view secure in own perspective because its danger of becoming impatient and been tried and tested arrogant with others who have one motivation to bring about change for the dimensional view of life better, to help others (like in relief may feel confused about where loyalties organizations) lie and may be perceived as less patriotic based on experience, realize people around the world are more similar than different
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Cross-Cultural Skills have learned to be observant, adaptable, may be perceived as socially slow flexible, compliant, less judgmental because take time to assimilate new surroundings and social mores capable of mentoring others because life tempted to become social chameleons experiences have been so varied just to fit it may be less assertive in new situations and perceived as lacking conviction Cultural Identity rich cultural background with elements hidden immigrant, others dont of various cultures internalized recognize or know your nomadic history broad base of knowledge of the world may feel out of balance with home and of people culture, never really feel like you belong question values and experience cultural discord struggle with unwritten aspects of culture (e.g. history, humor, rules, even trivia), can be a lonely feeling Mobility adaptable, flexible feeling of rootlessness, that home is always elsewhere confident with change even if you dont migratory instinct, trouble making like it decisions or staying put with academic sharpened perspective on life and a rich choices, career, family, etc. and colorful memory bank try to sustain too many relationships, many and varied relationships and often around the globe experiences difficulty in planning because so many recognition that the present time is previous decisions have been preempted important and should be lived to the fullest Transition (from One Culture to Another) sensitivity and empathy for others feel like a victim of transition, brush off because youve been through transition the pain without dealing with it many times unresolved grief that leads to anger and know how to put closure on one phase depression of life and welcome a new one relive grief when others experience it, may have own delayed reaction

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