Is Third Culture Kid (TCK) the same as Cross Cultural Kids (CCK)?

Who are Third Culture Kids?
Is Third Culture Kid (TCK) the same as Cross Cultural Kids (CCK)?

Who are Third Culture Kids?

The following definition of a certain group of people has been occupying my mind for the last couple of months (and even before then): THIRD CULTURE KID (TCK).

The first time I heard about this group was, when I was asked to participate in a PhD research as interviewee - fitting the description of TCK myself.

Third culture kids (TCK) are individuals who are (or were as children) raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of their country of nationality, and live in such an environment during a significant part of their early development years.[1] They typically are exposed to a greater volume and variety of cultural influences than those who grow up in one particular cultural setting. [2] The term applies to both adults and children, as the term "kid" refers to an individual's formative or developmental years. However, for clarification, sometimes the term adult third culture kid (ATCK) is used. (Wikipedia)

Third Culture Kid is a relatively recently pinpointed term for the above described individual, but finds a lot of resonance among like-minded people sharing these experiences.

Academic research is also focusing more on this topic in recent decades, as more global citizens evolve from the world wide movements ...

This magazine will bundle relevant content for those who want to know more about Third Culture Kid, who they are, where you can find them, what defines them, etc.

Is Third Culture Kid (TCK) the same as Cross Cultural Kids (CCK)?

For an elaboration on these two groups of individuals I can truly recommend the following source.

The Third Culture Model

@Model designed by Ruth E. Van Reken 1987

Common characteristics of Third Culture experience (for adults as well as kids)

Cross-cultural lifestyle
High mobility
Expected repatriation
Often a “system identity” with sponsoring organization/business (e.g. military, missionary, corporate, foreign service)

Cross-Cultural Kids (CCKs) Model

@Ruth van Reken

This group includes:

Traditional TCKs –Children who move into another culture with parents due to a parent’s career choice
Bi/multi-cultural/ and/or bi/multi-racial children —Children born to parents from at least two cultures or races
Children of immigrants —Children whose parents have made a permanent move to a new country where they were not originally citizens
Children of refugees —Children whose parents are living outside their original country or place due to unchosen circumstances such as war, violence, famine, other natural disasters
Children of minorities —Children whose parents are from a racial or ethnic group which is not part of the majority race or ethnicity of the country in which they live.
International adoptees —Children adopted by parents from another country other than the one of that child’s birth
“Domestic” TCKs —Children whose parents have moved in or among various subcultures within that child’s home country.
- Special note: Children are often in more than one of these circles at the same time. (e.g. A traditional TCK who is also from a minority group; a child of immigrants whose parents are from two different cultures, etc.) This helps us understand the growing complexity of the issues we face in our changing world

Moving & Living Abroad

Emigration and moving abroad

Living Abroad & Insurances

Third Culture Kids: the impact of growing up in a globalized world | Ruth Van Reken | TEDxINSEAD

Visit the author's profile page.

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Third Culture Kids: kinderen die een significant onderdeel uit hun kinderjaren in het buitenland hebben doorgebracht

Third Culture Kids (TCK's) zijn kinderen die:

een significant onderdeel van hun ontwikkelingsjaren hebben doorgebracht
in een cultuur die afwijkt van de cultuur van hun ouders en/of land behorende bij hun nationaliteit.

TCK’s verhuizen naar en wonen in het buitenland door het werk van een of beide ouders. Weer een “label” zou kunnen worden gedacht; maar vaak wel eentje die waardevol is voor TCK’s om te begrijpen waarom hun referentiekaders verschilt van de wereld om hun heen:

de 1ste cultuur, ook wel thuis cultuur genoemd, is de cultuur van hun ouders en behoort vaak bij hun eigen nationaliteit
de 2de cultuur, ook wel host cultuur genoemd, is de cultuur van het land (of landen) waarin de TCK woont of gewoond heeft
de 3de cultuur is de gedeelde overeenkomsten tussen mensen die een mobiele internationale levensstijl hebben. Het is een samensmelting van alles en is niet gebonden aan een plek.

Een bredere term die gebruikt wordt is Cross- Cultural Kids (CCK’s): kinderen die tijdens een significant onderdeel van hun ontwikkelingsjaren in een 1 of meer culturen hebben doorgebracht – of voor langere tijd aan 1 of meer culturen zijn blootgesteld.

deze term biedt ruimte voor TCK’s, maar ook kinderen die opgroeien in bi- of multiculturele omgevingen (door adoptie, migratie, vluchtelingen, ouders met verschillende culturele achtergronden).
deze twee groepen hebben zeker overeenkomsten en hebben beide een “derde culturele dimensie”.

Meer weten over TCK's: