Third Culture Kids

Can Third Culture Kids Save the World?
"TCKs are the prototype citizens of the future."
-Ted Ward, sociologist, 1984

https://vimeo.com/41264088 http://tckid.com/what-is-a-tck.html

GLOBAL NOMAD / cultural hybrid / GLOBAL CITIZEN / Cross Culture Kids (CCKs) / cultural chameleons / culturally homeless
There are over 6800 languages that are used in the world today, 350million English Speakers.
According to a body of sociological literature devoted to children who spend a portion of their developmental years outside their “passport country,” the classic profile of a “TCK” is someone with a global perspective who is socially adaptable and intellectually flexible. He or she is quick to think outside the box and can appreciate and reconcile different points of view. Beyond whatever diversity in background or appearance a TCK may bring to the party, there is a diversity of thought as well.

When, in 1984, sociologist Ted Ward stated that Third Culture Kids are “the prototype citizens of the future,” he envisioned that one day, growing up in homogeneous communities would be the exception rather than the norm. Indeed, the characteristics derived from a childhood spent abroad and in various cultures seem well suited to the challenges of our increasingly global world. Intercultural communication, languages, diplomacy and mediation are more important than ever.
Despite Ward’s foresight, he could never have guessed that some 25 years later, a TCK would enter office as the 44th President of the U.S.A. Some of Barack Obama’s skills include being sensitive to differences and finding commonalities: classic TCK characteristics. In America’s bipolar political system, this approach doesn’t always go down so well, but in general, seeing the forest while others are focusing on the trees is a huge asset.

Understanding the TCK experience is also important for other reasons. Many ATCKs are now in positions of influence and power. Their capacity to often think “outside the box” can offer new and creative thinking for doing business and living in our globalising world. But that same thinking can create fear for those who see the world from a more traditional world view.

Benefits
Expanded worldview: TCIs have an understanding that there is more than one way to look at situations that they are exposed to or experience. This can also be a challenge however, when third culture individuals return to a culture that ishomogenous in their belief system, as an expanded worldview is perceived as offensive or useless.[1][2][4]
Third-dimensional view of the world: With an increased amount of hands-on experiences in multiple cultures, there is a difference in the way that the world is perceived. For example, there has been an increase in cross-cultural authors, such as Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, who have received awards for their works that are written from amulticultural perspective. These authors are able to provide vivid descriptions about the cultures they have directly experienced and thus their work appears to be "three-dimensional."[1]
Interpersonal sensitivity: Increase exposure to a variety of perceptions and lifestyles allow TCIs to monitor their emotions, and register societal norms and cues more adeptly so as to produce higher sensitivity to other cultures and ways of life.[4]
Cross-cultural enrichment: Enjoying of and seeking to learn about the complexities and idiosyncrasies of other cultures.
Challenges
Confused loyalties: Third culture kids can experience confusion with politics, patriotism, and values. This is especially the case when moving from collectivist to individualist cultures, or vice versa, as the values within each culture is different from the other.[1]
Painful awareness of reality: difficulty adjusting to cultures where the only culture that is discussed or focused on is itself.[1]
Ignorance of home culture: TCIs are often lacking in knowledge about their home nation, culture, town, and/or family. With current technology leading to the globalization of information, this is becoming increasingly less of a challenge provided the TCIs use modern technology in their host cultures to connect to their home culture. Understanding a culture’s sense of humor, however, is a commonly cited difficulty with the transition back to a home culture. There are also general societal norms and practices that will not be known when a TCI is first re-introduced to his/her home culture but those are eventually learned.[1]
Difficulties with adjusting to adult life: the mixture of influences from the various cultures that the individual has lived can create challenges in developing an identity as well as with a sense of belonging. Feelings of rootlessness and restlessness can make the transition to adulthood a challenging period for TCIs.[13]

Intellectual impact is also possible through differences in choosing to continue studies in higher education after high school. In 2001, it was found by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that 61.7 percent of 2001 high school graduates were enrolled in college. That same year, it was found that 95 percent of the TCI population were either enrolled or had some college education. Twenty-nine percent of this population had received an advanced degree, which is also higher than the percentage of the general population.[12] However, it has been found that TCIs also have more "untraditional" educational paths in that a significant portion of TCIs choose to attend multiple colleges or take time off before or during college to travel or explore other opportunities.

Cognitive and emotional development
Teenage TCIs are more mature than non-TCIs, but in their twenties take longer than their peers to focus their aims.[36]
Depression is comparatively prevalent among TCIs.[36]
TCIs' sense of identity and well-being is directly and negatively affected by repatriation.[37]
TCIs are highly linguistically adept (not as true for military TCIs).[38]
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.[39]
Like all children, TCIs may experience stress and even grief from the relocation experience.[40][41]

Education and career
TCIs are 4 times as likely as non-TCIs to earn a bachelor's degree (81% vs 21%)[42]
44 percent earned undergraduate degree after the age of 22.[38]
Education, medicine, business management, self-employment, and highly skilled positions are the most common professions for TCIs.[38]
TCIs are unlikely to work for big business, government, or follow their parents' career choices. "One won't find many TCIs in large corporations. Nor are there many in government ... they have not followed in parental footsteps".[38]

HIRING TCKs
1. Cultural Bridging – TCKs have developed into natural cultural melting pots. They learn a culture quickly, fit into it easily, and have no problem mixing and mingling with cultures that would otherwise seem foreign or distant to an FCK. Why? Because TCKs have never had a single culture to latch onto, and so they have spent their whole lives building their own. This is a valuable commodity when you are trying to strike a deal with someone “foreign” or trying to communicate an idea to a potential customer that has different cultural values.
2. Global Mindset – You may not be thinking about how many subcultures are impacted by your company or brand, but I can promise you your TCK partner is. While you’re paying attention to the big community in your area, the TCK is constantly looking at how to pull in all the other cultures, too.
3. From Handshake to Bow – Business deals are struck all over the world. If you’re visiting a factory in Indonesia, or sitting around a conference room table in Shanghai, the cultural norms are going to be very different to what you’re used to. This is where a TCK really shines. If they don’t know the culture yet, they’ll have it down very very quickly. Their natural ability to pick up on cultural queues is unmatched, and they’ll rapidly have techniques for polite business transactions and authoritative stands alike down to a art.
4. Manners are Key – Sometimes, something as simple as eating with your left hand can lose all the respect you have earned over the years. Remember, every community has different rules. And if you can’t remember, just ask your TCK. They’ve been silently learning how the culture works from watching people on the plane before you even landed outside of your element.
5. Travel Away – Got a new facility opening up in a country 5,000+ miles away from home? Can’t find anyone who really wants to be on board with the move and help get things rolling? Well, you obviously haven’t asked the TCK you hired yet, have you? As natural movers, we’re the most likely to say yes, and we’ll blend exceptionally well with the new hires at our most recent branch of operations. It’s what we were raised to do!
6. An Eye on Globalization – Globalization is only going to keep growing. That means that if you don’t stay with it, you’re going to fall behind. If you are going to remain a front runner, you need to get used to the fact that things are changing more and more every day, and the global-political discussions that are taking place right now mean a lot more than you think. Make sure you’re in the right position by having someone on board who understands this.
7. Minority Thinking – If you haven’t noticed that offending people is becoming a rather consistent trend in the business world these days, that means you either don’t care about your customers, or you forgot social media existed. Regardless of the race, creed, or culture of a group, a TCK is very aware of your minority market. After all, we have spent most of our lives as a minority in the first place.