Third Culture Kids (TCK’s) and Cross Cultural Kids (CCK’s)

Social Emotional Practicum

2012

TCK’s Defined

Spend developmental years outside the parents’ culture.

Builds relationships to all of the cultures, full ownership of none.

The sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.

CCK Model (Cross Cultural Kid) Someone who is living and meaningfully

interacts with two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time

The CCK definition is not dependent on the question of where CCK’s grow up, such as outside the passport culture or overseas.

CCK’s do not merely live side by side with those from other cultures, but are interacting with more than one culture in ways that have meaningful or relational involvement.

The TCK or CCK Model

Third Culture or Cross Culture

with Shared Commonalities

Host or Second Culture

Home or First Culture

CCK Categories Traditional TCK’s Bi/Multicultural

Children Bi/Multiracial

Children Children of

Borderlanders Educational CCK’s

Domestic TCK’s International

Adoptees Children of Minorities Children of

Immigrants Children of Refugees

Cultural Identity Modelin Relationship to Surrounding Culture

Foreigner

Look differentThink different

Hidden Immigrant

Look alikeThink different

Adopted

Look differentThink alike

Mirror

Look alikeThink alike

Who Am I? Finding a sense of personal balance and identity

Adults experience cross cultural transitions and high mobility with an international move

But YOU experience growing up cross culturally

It is the interplay of these factors for you during your youth that leads to the benefits, challenges and personal characteristics of TCK’s

Achieving Cultural Balance and Personal Identity

Who we are and where we belong is a developmental task for students

We learn the basic rules and values by which our particular culture operates

As you grow, you challenge these rules Eventually you internalize the principles and

practices you have learned, by challenging and finally accepting (?)—or adjusting within yourself

This is achieving cultural balance and personal identity

What about Cultural Balance for TCK’s and CCK’s? Often feel out of balance Why? Because rapid cultural change has been

normal. You are one plane ride away from exchanging complete sets of worldviews, expectations of behavior, and even languages

Before you know how to behave, you must figure out where you are

You are trying to find cultural balance in a world filled with many cultures, many worldviews and you ‘catch it’ from all of your environments

What are the main challenges of a TCK upbringing for you?

Finding a sense of personal identity

Finding a sense of cultural identity

Dealing with unresolved grief

Turn to your neighbor and discuss the above concepts. Be ready to share your thoughts with the group.

TCK’s and CCK’s undergo Chronic Cycles of Mobility

Much more often than the population at large Go through the transition cycle with greater frequency

so there are multiple and repetitive cycles of loss and grief

Grief during a transition is not a negation of the past—it is an affirmation

Also TCK’s move often meaning changing cultures as well as places

Experience grief because of the very richness of their lives

Reasons for Unresolved Grief

Fear of denying the good Learning to live with the mystery of paradox

Hidden Losses Loss of relationships, loss of role models, loss of

status, loss of their world, loss of lifestyle, loss of possessions

Lack of permission to grieve Lack of time to process Lack of comfort

Part two

Let’s get personal

Benefits and Challenges of TCK’s/CCK’s

Benefits Expanded Worldview

Awareness of more than one way to look at the same thing

Three Dimensional View of the World

Cross Cultural Richness

Challenges Confused Loyalties

Value dissonance

Painful Awareness of Reality

Ignorance of the home culture or perhaps questioning of home culture

TCK Personal CharacteristicsBenefits and Challenges

Benefits

Cultural Adaptability

Blending In Prejudice: Less The Importance of

Now

Appreciative of Authority

Challenges

Lack of True Cultural Balance

Defining the Differences Prejudice: More The Delusion of Choice

Planning at the last minute to not risk disappointment

Mistrustful of Authority Real vs. Perceived

Arrogance—I’m different from you

TCK Practical Skills Cross-Cultural Skills Observational Skills Social Skills Linguistic Skills

Rootlessness vs. Restlessness Dreaded questions of TCK’s

Where are you from? Where is home?

The Migratory Instinct Where I am, today, is temporary. But as soon as I

get a job or purchase a home, I’ll settle down.

Relational Patterns Large numbers of relationships Deep and valued relationships as TCK’s

Home culture relationships ‘shallow’? Relationships levels we pass through

Superficial level—small talk ‘Still safe’ level—we exchange facts with no personal

risks Judgmental level—we risk comments about our opinions Emotional level—share how we feel about life,

ourselves—here we risk a piece of inner worlds, selves Disclosure level—reveal our private thoughts and

feelings, allow ourselves to be vulnerable, are truly honest

Why do TCK’s have deeper relationships? Practice

Have started new relationships often Content

Have a large store of knowledge, feeding many topics for discussion

Sense of urgency They perceive little time to develop a particular

relationship

Possible Effects of a Cycle of Multiple Losses on Relationships Refusing to care

Limits your vulnerability to impending grief Quick release

Friends stop calling each other and don’t visit any longer

Anger could be part of this Emotional Flattening

Refusing to feel the pain; they say they don’t like messy goodbyes

Normal Developmental Tasks Establishing a personal sense of identity

Establishing and maintaining strong relationships

Developing Competence in decision making

Achieving independence

Adulthood

Early Maturity of TCK’s In… Broad base of knowledge and awareness

Relationship to adults

Communication skills

Early autonomy

Delayed Adolescence in TCK’s Cross cultural mobility in developmental years

Can lead to restrictions of movement due to safety Extended compliance to cultural rules Lack of opportunities for meaningful choices Life is often unpredictable making it hard to

make decisions Family separations Operating between different systems-social

and educational

Delayed Adolescent Rebellion Extension of delayed adolescence

End of the need for compliance

Loneliness Need for a home base, vacation time is lonely

Anger Manifestation of unresolved grief

Expressions of Unresolved Grief Denial Anger Bargaining Sadness/Depression Withdrawal Rebellion Vicarious grief Delayed grief