TCK - Book Report/Review Example

Parental Culture and Disposition in TCKs “ The term ‘Third Culture Kid’ or ‘TCK’ first coined by Ruth Hill Useem in 1962”, (Fail, 1996) has attracted extra attention of social and culture researchers and scientist due to the complex nature of their cultural and social up bringing in an alien environment. By definition TCKs are those children who were internationally relocated along with their parents as a result of some planned temporary or permanent migration. Relocation may be attributed to some other compelling circumstances however the reason of relocation is not that much important in the study of TCKs.

More often than not TCKs are subjected to tough challenges of adjusting themselves in alien culture while keeping their parental culture and disposition intact, which in most of the cases is a serious demand of their parents. Obviously, the local cultural and social forces have a critical impact on these TCKs as well. The result is usually the birth of a more complex third cultural disposition which is neither owned by parents and the society nor the kids themselves. Kids heavily depend on their parents for their cultural and temperamental upbringing therefore the study of parent’s personality aspects is equally important for a warranted study of TCKs.

This bring into account the parents own cultural status. Most of the parent have not been TCKs themselves and do not appreciate the difficulties and complexities and mindset of TCKs. The most common problem in such cases is the emphasis each of these entities used to lay on the importance of cultural values itself. Parents with non-TCKs background used to be stiffer towards observing and implementing cultural values in their lives. They are even more conservative towards own cultural values while living in alien cultures.

On the other hand TCKs have to observe values of own culture and host culture. However, they tend to be less watchful towards these cultural aspects. They like to be more practical while their activities are more neutral and balance. However if the parents have themselves spent some time in their past as TCKs they are in a better position to understand the position of their children. Moreover they are not much culture sensitive and multi cultural balance and flexibilities are more visible and apparent in their actions and their TCKs children adopt many thing easily form their disposition.

The number of variations on the parent’s culture and disposition is as high as the number of TCK families in the world itself: however, it is often true that TCKs come from a small subset of wealthier, more highly educated and more close-knit families. Of course, parents could be of the same culture or different cultures; they could be brand new to the process of moving one’s life abroad, or seasoned world travelers. That said, what is really important is the fact that the occupation and education of parents are a huge factor in whether a child becomes a TCK.

Between 36 and 89 percent of American TCK families have at least one parent with an advanced degree, depending on the family’s reason for moving abroad – even the lower end of this (which represents military families) is much higher than the rest of the population. This is because it is generally highly-educated people whom companies choose to post abroad. This has a huge knock-on effect: TCKs are usually richer, and accustomed to having peers of the same class; they are more likely to follow their parent’s; footsteps educationally and to get a higher education than their non-TCK peers.

However they are less likely to follow their parent’s; career choices, meaning that only a small percentage of adult TCKs work in large corporations or in government. The motivation behind the parent’s; choice to relocate can also influence the experience of a TCK. Parents of third-culture kids can struggle to deal with the multiculturalism of their children whether they are adult TCKs themselves or have never lived abroad before: for example, a non-TCK parent will find it difficult to understand the mindset of TCKism, although they may bond over having to adjust to their new environment alongside their children.

A TCK parent may remember only their good experiences in their youth, and be unable to understand the troubles which come inherently with moving abroad at a young age. Parents of TCKs can return to their home country, but TCKs by definition never have a home country. International relocation is a tough choice, and as such one which can unite a family or divide it. Ultimately, whether a child becomes a TCK is in the hands of its parents, and so it is very important to look at the wider effect that parents can have on TCKs.

Works Cited Web Publications Fail, Helen. “Whatever becomes of international school students?” brookes.ac.uk. International Schools Journal xv: 2 April 1996, Web. 16 April 2011.