Notes from Articles on TCKs by, Ruth Hill Useem

These are my notes from the article, "TCKs: Focus of Major Study" by Ruth Hill Useem, which is Article 1 in a series of 5:

• The term TCK was coined to refer to the children who accompany their parents into another society.
• Ruth Hill Useem taught a course entitled, "The education of third culture kids".

These are my notes from the article, "TCKs Four Times More Likely to Earn Bachelor's Degrees" by Ruth Hill Useem, which is Article 2 in a series of 5:

• The "sponsor" organization make a difference in the type of family life and schooling tat the dependant experiences abroad..
• Though all TCKs experience the same expereience of a third culture, the their culture of a military base differes from that found on the mission field.
• Overwhelming majority of TCKs are committed to continuing their education beyond high school graduation.
• Many adult TCKs change colleges/majors many times or drop out in order to take advantages of opportunities that arrise.
• Many feel that their overseas experience puts them ahead of their peers and teachers.
• They often feel out of synch with their all-american-reared peers.
• Most report mild to severe difficulties with re-entry problems or reverse culture shock.
• TCKs don't ever adjust to American life, they adjust to it.
• They adapt they find niches and they take risks. They fail and pick themselves up again.
• They resist being encapsulated.
• Their camouflaged exteriors and understated ways of presenting themselves hide the rich inner lives, remarkable talents, and often strongly held contradictory opinions on the world.
• Most TCKs feel different from people who have not had an overseas experience.
• Most keep up on happenings outside the U.S.
• TCKs are creative and innovative, who have robust educational experiences.
• They relate Americans to the rest of the world and interpret the outside world to the immediate world.

These are my notes from the article, "TCKs Experience Prolonged Adolescence" by Ruth Hill Useem and Anne Baker Cottrell, which is Article 3 in a series of 5:

• In the U.S. you don't appear different so when you openly deviate from attitudes, opinions, ambitions or other from your others they don't see you as a crazy TCK but say you're nuts.
• Being out of step with those around you is especialy noticeable and painful.
• Many cannot make up their minds about what they want to do with their lives and experience prolonged adolescence.
• As they meet new people they are slow to commit themselves until they have observed what is expected behavior.
• Their bland and unremarkable exteriors belie not only the depths of feelings but of considerable talents an a wealth of memories of other countries and places in which they have lived in and continue to take interest in.
• TCKs are extremely complex people who are weaving together their memories ina rapidly changing present for an uncertain future.
• No two ATCKs come up with identical ways of putting their lives together.

These are my notes from the article, "ATCKs have problems relating to their own ethnic groups" by Ann Baker Cottrell, which is Article 4 in a series of 5:

• ATCKs generally agree that their international backgrounds contribute postively to their adult lives.
• ATCKS build on a foundation of international awareness.
• They have more cross-cultural knowledge and skills than opportunity to use them.
• They keep international touches to their homes and would love to visit the countries they have lived in.
• ATCKs are helpers and problem solvers. They draw on their own experiences in new situations and to help others.
• ATCKs feel different not isolated and are different from those who have not lived overseas.
• ATCKs' international experiences make them appreciate much in the U.S. that Americans take for granted.
• Sponsorship greatly influences the TCK experience.

These are my notes from the article, "ATCKs maintain global dimensions throughout their lives" by Ann Baker Cottrell and Ruth Hill Useem, which is article 5 in a series of 5:

• Feelings of rootlessness and alienation, experience most severely during reentry, may last a life time.
• What kinds of world views and attitudes do they have, what kinds of life choices do they make?
• Continue a pattern of mobility and change.
• Many are active in being volunteers.
• Keep in contact with people from other countries.
• Their child-rearing is in some ways influenced by having lived abroad.
• ATCKs seek ways to introduce their offspring to the diversity of the world's people and cultures.
• Teach a message of acceipting, respecting, and treasuring differences.
• The TCK background surfaces in many who can move around the world easily if had the opportunity.
• They enjoy meeting new people and new challenges.