Who We Are (According To Wikipedia)

18May08

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Culture_Kids

TCKs are often multilingual, highly tolerant of other cultures, and constantly homesick for their adopted country. Moving from country to country often becomes an easy thing for such individuals.

Many TCKs take years to readjust to their passport countries and often suffer a reverse culture shock upon their return. Many Third Culture Kids face an identity crisis: they don’t know where they come from. It would be typical for a third culture person to say that he or she is from a country but nothing beyond their passport defines it; they usually find it difficult to answer the question. Compared to their peers who have lived their entire lives in a single culture, TCKs have a globalized culture. This makes it difficult for others to relate to them. It is hard for the TCKs to present themselves as a single cultured person; making it hard for others who have not had similar experiences to accept them for who they are. They know bits and pieces of many cultures, yet most of them did not experience the full throttle of one culture making them incomplete or sometimes feel left out with other children who have not lived overseas, they often build social networks between themselves and prefer to interact socially with other TCK’s rather than people from their passport nation.

Many choose to enter careers that allow them to travel frequently or live overseas, which may make it seem difficult for TCKs to make longterm, in-depth relationships. There is however, a growing number of online resources to help TCKs deal with issues as well as stay in contact with each other. Recently, blogs and social networks including MySpace and Facebook, have become a helpful way for TCKs to interact. In addition, chatting programs including MSN Messenger, AIM, and Skype are often used so the TCKs can keep in touch with each other. The unique experiences of TCKs among different cultures and various relationships at the formative stage of their development makes their view of the world different from others. However, this also makes it difficult for them to have in-depth relationships with those who have not experienced a similar lifestyle.

While TCKs usually grow up to be fiercely independent and cosmopolitan, they are more culturally sound and sensitive. They also tend to get along with people of any culture. TCKs tend to be very privileged, and will live in their own sub-culture, sometimes excluding native children attending their school.

As Third Culture Kids mature they become Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCKs). Some ATCKs come to terms with issues such as culture shock and a sense of not belonging while others struggle with these for their entire lives.

There are different characteristics that impact the typical Third Culture Kid:

• TCKs are 4 times as likely as non-TCKs to earn a bachelor’s degree (81% vs 21%)
• 40% earn an advanced degree (as compared to 5% of the non-TCK population.)
• 45% of TCKs attended 3 universities before earning a degree.
• 44% earned undergraduate degree after the age of 22.
• Educators, medicine, professional positions, and self employment are the most common professions for TCKs.
• TCKs are unlikely to work for big business, government, or follow their parents’ career choices. “One won’t find many TCKs in large corporations. Nor are there many in government … they have not followed in parental footsteps”.
• 90% feel “out of sync” with their peers.
• 90% report feeling as if they understand other cultures/peoples better than the average American.
• 80% believe they can get along with anybody.
• Divorce rates among TCKs are lower than the general population, but they marry older (25+).
  • Military brats, however, tend to marry earlier.
• Linguistically adept (not as true for military ATCKs.)
  • A study whose subjects were all “career military brats”—those who had a parent in the military from birth through high school—shows that brats are linguistically adept.
• Teenage TCKs are more mature than non-TCKs, but ironically take longer to “grow up” in their 20s.
• More welcoming of others into their community.
• Lack a sense of “where home is” but often nationalistic.
• Some studies show a desire to “settle down” others a “restlessness to move”.
• Depression and suicide are more prominent among TCK’s. 

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