From Everywhere and Nowhere:

Meeting the Orientation Needs of Third Culture Students

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Sarah Edwards, Jesus Hernandez & Colby Seay

Texas A&M University

Where are you from?

• Student X was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. X lived in San Benito, TX for eighteen years and graduated from San Benito High School. In 2009, X moved to Austin, TX to attend college. After four years, X graduated and moved to College Station, TX. X is able to visit San Benito, TX regularly.

• Where is Student X from?

Where are you from?

• Student Y was born on an Air Force base outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Growing up, Y lived for 6 months in Utah; 2 years in Las Vegas, NV; 1 year in Norfolk, VA; 2 years in Seoul, Korea; 6 months in College Station, TX; and 18 months in Enkirch, Germany. During this time, both sets of Y's grandparents lived in College Station, TX and all family vacations were centered there. After Germany, Y then lived for the next 14 years in Georgia. Upon graduating from university, Y moved to College Station, TX and has lived there for the past 10 years.

• Where is Student Y from?

Where are you from?

• Student Z’s father is from Ohio, and mother is from Queensland. Z was born in Brisbane, Australia. Z lived in Karachi, Pakistan for 3 years; Dhaka, Bangladesh for 2 years; Jubail, Saudi Arabia for 2 years; Islamabad, Pakistan for 8 years; Mooloolaba, Australia for 1 year; and Doha, Qatar for 3 years. Z then went to university in Arizona, received a BA in international affairs and minored in Asian studies. Z has two passports and is fluent in French.

• Where is Student Z from?

Definition

• “A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background” (Pollock, 2009).

Context

• Globalization

– Increasing the interconnectivity of the world

– People have been migrating for millennia

– Interconnected economies take people overseas

– Speed is unprecedented

• Technology has sped the process

Context

Useem’s Concept

• The Three Cultures

• 1st culture

– Culture(s) of parents

– Passport culture

• 2nd culture

– Culture of the host nation

• 3rd culture

– Shared lifestyle of the expat community

– Interstitial culture- “culture between cultures”

Van Reken’s Categories

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• “Foreign Service kids”

• “Corporate brats”

– “oil brats”

• “Missionary Kids”

• “Military Brats”

Themes Within the TCK Community

• Identity confusion

– Where am I from?

• Trouble establishing relationships

– Who can I relate to?

– Does anyone care?

• Loss and grief

– Emotional loss

– Geographical loss

Where are you from?

“I kind of hate that question. It’s really hard for me to answer. It depends on who is asking it. If it is

someone [in the United States], I would say Qatar because that’s where my parents are. But, I also have a home here. [Home] is where my bed is at the time.

If my parents move to a different country, I don’t really know where I will say I am from.”

-TCK at Texas A&M

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Trouble Establishing Relationships

• “People acted like I was supposed to be [in the US], but I didn’t feel like I should be there.”

– TCK at Texas A&M

• “I always believed I was American, but when I got here, I had no idea how to relate to ‘Americans.’”

– TCK at Texas A&M

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Loss and Grief

“In the previous two months I’d said goodbye to my friends, to my school, to my home, to my adopted country and to the

identity I’d had for sixteen years. I’d sobbed at the airport and on the plane. I’d moved to a new town, to a new home and to a new school and had to start over in what was effectively a foreign culture and educational system. I was struggling to

make friends and connect with people.”

-Cecily Thew Paterson

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Purpose of TCK-Centered Orientation Programming

To aid third culture students (TCKs) in their transition to living in the United States, being a student at an American institution of higher education, and contributing as a member of

the educational community.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will develop competence by learning how to accomplish tasks associated with living in the United States.

• Students will be able to articulate the mission and values of their institution.

• Students will be able to identify and utilize the resources and services available to them on campus.

• Students will be able to articulate the challenges they may encounter in their transition to living in the United States.

• Students will be able to articulate the unique nature of their global experiences.

Example Schedule

Example Schedule

Examples of TCK Centered Programming

• Knowing Your Legal Rights

– TCKs may have lived in countries with different legal rights than that of the United States.

– Fill in gaps in civic education

• Getting a Driver’s License & Buying a Car

– TCKs may come from countries that have a different driving culture than that of the United States.

• Banking & Budgeting: Maximizing Your Money

– TCKs do not all come from the same SES.

• Common Cents: Paying for College

Examples of TCK Centered Programming

• Where Are You From?: How to Manage Culture Shock

– TCKs often feel out of place culturally.

• Helpful Tips for Third Culture Students / Third Culture Student Support Panel

– Peer to peer teaching and learning; creating a support network

• Clash of Cultures: How to Manage Roommate Conflict

• Prepare to Get Whoop!-ed: Understanding Aggie Traditions & Terminology

– Institution specific programming; building a connection to the institution

Examples of TCK Centered Programming

• The United States Perspective on Diversity

– Helping TCKs realize that their notions of diversity may be different than the diversity promoted in the United States.

• Being From Everywhere & Nowhere: Understanding Yourself as a Third Culture Student

– Ascribing words to feelings, perhaps for the first time.

– Not being put in a box

• Obtaining a Social Security Number

– Becoming acquainted with federal protocols.

Intentionally Structured Sessions

Being From Everywhere & Nowhere: Understanding Yourself as a Third Culture Student

•Co-construct a definition of a third culture student

– Exploration of the TCK experience in academia – Anecdotal reflection

•Potential cultural problems TCKs may face – Loss, depression, and grief

•Provide third culture students with information as they begin to establish their identity:

– Becoming comfortable with oneself – Accepting social identity as in flux, specifically national

origin – Gaining self-esteem

Intentionally Structured Sessions

“Home”sickness: Coping with Emotions •Discuss potential feelings and emotional stress

– Longing for the familiar – Stress – Trauma

•Strategies on how to healthily manage emotions – Introduce TCKs to counseling services on campus – Finding the familiar in the unfamiliar

•Managing emotions – Recognize and accept emotions – Express and control them appropriately

Intentionally Structured Sessions

Where Are You From?: How to Manage Culture Shock •Address cultural misperceptions

– How one perceives the United States – How Americans perceive the World – How the United States perceives diversity and

multiculturalism •How to deal with the “where are you from?” question •Reaffirm third culture students’ communal culture

– Celebrate differences, embrace commonalities – Realize there are more than just differences

Why does this matter?

• Astin’s Theory of Involvement – Definition of involvement: “the amount of physical and psychological energy that

the student devotes to the academic experience” (Astin, 1984, p. 297).

• Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development – Vector 1 - Developing Competence

– Vector 2 - Managing Emotions

– Vector 3 - Moving Through Autonomy Towards Interdependence

– Vector 4 - Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships

– Vector 5 - Establishing Identity

– Vector 6 - Developing Purpose

– Vector 7 - Developing Integrity

• Schlossberg’s Transition Model – Transitions, Meaning for the Individual, The Transition Process, Coping with

Transitions, Situation, Self, Support, Strategies

Why does this matter?

• Research on Acculturation – “Several studies have shown that international students with strong social

support systems (external issues) are more likely to adjust to life in the US (Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992; Misra, Crist, & Burant, 2003; Trice, 2004), while other studies suggest that social adaptability depends upon the student’s cultural, social, and communication skills (i.e., intrapersonal issues; McCabe & Meller, 2004; Misra et al., 2003; Pak, Dion, & Dion, 1985). The external issues include friendships, social support and networking, length of stay, cultural discrepancies between native country and host country, financial security, racism and discrimination, immigration issues, and job security. Intrapersonal issues are those within the student’s personal consideration and include communication and language skills, beliefs, decision-making skills, work ethic, and affective response such as anxiety” (Bang & Montgomery, 2013, p. 343).

References

Barringer, C. (2000). Counseling third culture kids. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Counseling Association, San Antonio, TX.

Bates, J. (2013). Administrator perceptions for transition programs in international secondary schools. Journal of Research in International Education, 12(1), 85-102. doi:10.1177/1475240913478078

Bonebright, D. A. (2010). Adult third culture kids: HRD challenges and opportunities. Human Resource Development International, 13(3), 351-359. doi:10.1080/13678861003746822

Cockburn, L. (2002). Children and young people living in changing worlds: The process of assessing and understanding the ‘third culture kid.’ School Psychology International, 23(4), 475-485. doi:10.1177/0143034302234008

References

Fail, H., Thompson, F., & Walker, G. (2004). Belonging, identity and third culture kids: Life histories of former international school students. Journal of Research in International Education, 3(3), 319-338. doi:10.1177/1475240904047358

Gillies, W. D. (1998). Third culture kids: Children on the move. Childhood Education, 75(1), 36-38. doi:10.1080/00094056.1998.10521975

Hill Useem, R., & Downie, R. D. (1976). Third-culture kids. Today's Education, 103-105.

Limberg, D., & Lambie, G. W. (2011). Third culture kids: Implications for professional school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 15(1), 45-54.

Pollock, D. C., & Van, R. R. (2009). Third culture kids: Growing up among worlds. Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Pub.

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