TCK Research, Part 2

[author][author_info]Our guest blogger for this series is Sheryl O’Bryan. Sheryl has been involved in TCK education since 1988, both as a classroom teacher in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire, and for the past 10 years as TCK Coordinator for WorldVenture. In her down time, Sheryl likes to sleep in, hang out with TCKs, eat dark chocolate, drink coffee, collect new stamps in her passport, and blog, and doodle with zen tangles. She’s less fond of reading contracts and packing, which is what she’s been doing in most of her free time lately.[/author_info] [/author]

This is part two of three in this series about how the characteristics of TCKs have changed over the years. You can read part one here. Recently a group of Third Culture Kid (TCK) caregivers, educators, and TCKs spent three days looking at the definition of a TCK and the attributes generally assigned to this unique people group.  They tackled questions of relevancy, wording, and change. They reviewed a ream of answers generated from a survey of over 500 TCKs under the age of 30.  Here we continue to explore the characteristics.

Expanded Worldview

While the idea of TCKs having an expanded worldview is nothing new, the realities of how it impacts their lives have changed in the last few decades.  It is no longer simply a cognitive result of being part of the Third Culture, although it begins there.  For most an expanded worldview is fertile soil for cognitive recognition to take root, grow into an emotive state that may eventually flourish into a life of action.

Engagement   Often that action is directed outside of the community in which the TCK resides.  Knowing a place, its prejudices and its problems can leave a TCK knowing the problems and what might be done, but either being apathetic or simply lacking the knowledge of how to apply what they know leaves many TCKs feeling powerless in their own context.  However it’s not all bad news.  Many take their locally developed burden for the underserved and engage in distant communities.

Suffering    TCKs have witnessed suffering like no other culture.  Their firsthand experience of suffering—either as a witness or a participant—colors their perspective on both pain and pleasure.  TCKs are more likely to categorize pain on different levels.  They speak of shallow pain and pure pain.  They know how to suffer with people.  On the other hand, they can be quick to minimize someone’s pain because they have seen more intense and life-altering circumstances.

Parents and other caregivers who don’t shelter TCKs from the realities of life but guide them through the thoughts, feelings, and questions surrounding tough situations are more likely to produce adult TCKs (ATCKs) who are resilient.  Generally the ATCKs who learn to deal with pain and suffering as children face adult life issues sooner.  They also seem to need less professional care.

Linguistics

Multilingualism has long been a hallmark of the Third Culture.  The unfolding of the 21st century has made it an imperative not just an advantage—especially for non-North American TCKs.  Of the 500+ respondents to the survey 45% attend school in a language not spoken at home.  This is a huge shift from earlier generations.

While the status and advantages of speaking multiple languages is irrefutable, there are some gaps that need to be addressed.  While children who learn multiple languages simultaneously seamlessly code switch between languages, those who add to their language base can more easily confuse them.

These TCKs also have language gaps.  Idioms, slang and accidental vulgarity are among the more interesting challenges of learning multiple languages. While the multilingual TCK is often better at discerning non-verbals in different cultures, mistakes are not uncommon.

Part three will be published next week, covering the characteristics related to the identity and relationships, developmental grief,  and leave-taking ability of TCKs.

What have your observations been related to the worldview TCKs? How has the shift to an increasing number of TCKs attending school in a language not spoken at home impacted your consulting?

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