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Is your child a 'third culture kid'?

Wellbeing

08/11/2011Is your child a 'third culture kid'?

Experts say that expat children are uniquely placed to develop cross-cultural and internationally mobile abilities, primarily due to their heritage as ‘third culture kids’. Aaron Gray-Block reports.

What is a third culture kid?

Dr David Pollock, author of the book Third Culture Kids, defines his subject as individuals who spend a large part of their developmental years in a culture other than that of their parents. Such a background, he says, stimulates third culture kids (TCKs) to develop a relationship to all cultures, while not having full ownership of any.

Pollock - the executive director of Interaction International, an organisation which works as a catalyst and resource for the development of programs, services and publications for TCKs and internationally mobile families - says TCKs incorporate each culture into their life experience, developing a third, unique culture from the mix of two of more.

"But the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar experience," he says.

According to Interaction International, expat parents should maximise the benefits, while minimising the challenges, to their child to ensure they fulfil their true potential.

Matthew Neigh, associate executive director of Interaction International, says TCKs can become the 21st Century, cross-cultural and internationally mobile workforce. Neigh, a TCK now based in Colorado Springs, says the benefits for children include their development of a three-dimensional view of the world in which media images of different countries carry greater depth.

He says TCKs have a tangible link to such images and a greater sensitivity to the world in which they live. TCKs can also become great cross-culturalists - people who are in more demand than ever before.

"International businesses want people who cannot only survive, but thrive in today's marketplace, regardless of where they are placed," he says. Neigh cites the example of a business executive who is keen to employ more TCKs because their cultural sensitivity gives them advantages when placed in new locations.

The challenges

Neigh says the migratory instinct that TCKs develop due to their international mobility, makes it difficult for them to put down roots.

"They constantly feel the need to ‘move on'," he says. "This impacts their academic, career and even their married life." Neigh says relationships are a challenge, suggesting that TCKs experience difficulty in discovering deep, lasting friendships.

TCKs also have a tendency to minimise their benefits and maximise their challenges, because the challenges are more noticeable.

He says this is particularly obvious when they return to the country and culture of their parents. Some TCKs suddenly realise they are a "hidden immigrant" because they think differently to that of their parents' culture, defined as the passport culture.

Neigh says TCKs can start to feel like second-class citizens, like victims, because they are classed as foreigners in their host culture, but don't necessarily belong in their passport culture.

But these individuals need to understand who they are, appreciate their heritage and avoid feeling like a victim, he says.

What parents can do

Parents are urged to understand that their children will be different and to accept that their children may want to remain behind in their host country, even if their parents return home.

Neigh says parents will be better off once they realise their child's expat heritage "will give their children the opportunity to profoundly impact this world".

"It is important that parents help their children have a balanced view of the world around them," Neigh says. "To only focus on the host culture or only on the passport culture is a loss to the ‘third culture'."

He urges parents to celebrate holidays from both passport and host cultures and encourage their children to keep in contact with relatives and friends, but not at the expense of integrating into the host culture. In a dual nationality family, both passport cultures need to be preserved, he says.

He also says advises parents who share the same nationality to speak one language in the home, namely that of the passport culture.

In addition, TCKs are more inclined to adjust in a healthy manner if there is a presence of a practical, religious faith. Neigh believes amid a life of transition, TCKs are looking for hope - hope that they will cope and survive all the changes. A consistent faith offers them that hope, he says.

He urges parents to help maintain a child's multiculturalism to develop their cross-cultural abilities, enabling them to make bridges between various cultures.

"If too many changes, differences and languages are introduced too early in life or all at once, it can become so confusing for the child that it all gets diluted to the point where it becomes more of a challenge than a benefit," he says.

Aaron Gary-Block / Expatica

Interaction International, which is affiliated with the Christian Church, can be found at www.tckinteract.net and its website offers a vast resource base, both for missionary families and non-religious expat parents.

2 reactions to this article

Shaz posted: 2011-02-19 07:59:15

Are you a TCK who has moved back to your passport country at some point during your life? If your answer is yes, please do my questionnaire!

http://survey.nottingham.edu.my/index.php?sid=17391

Bog posted: 2012-03-20 17:35:43

Restless TCK still on the road, mixing work with travel.

www.fosterwide.com

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2 reactions to this article

Shaz posted: 2011-02-19 07:59:15

Are you a TCK who has moved back to your passport country at some point during your life? If your answer is yes, please do my questionnaire!

http://survey.nottingham.edu.my/index.php?sid=17391

Bog posted: 2012-03-20 17:35:43

Restless TCK still on the road, mixing work with travel.

www.fosterwide.com

Add a comment

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