How an Antipodean Perspective of International Schooling Challenges Third Culture Kid (TCK) Conceptualisation

Abstract

This article recounts the story of Jack's primary and secondary schooling career across several countries and eventual relocation and tertiary education in Victoria, Australia. His narrative is described here as an antipodean educational trajectory. What is meant by antipodean education is contrasted to the long established concept of the third culture kid (TCK). There are overlaps in these concepts. The argument is made, however, that Jack's travelling and multiple education cultural mix gives him a different sense of himself that is not fully accounted for in the TCK literature. Global movement of people for employment and other reasons such as politics, governmental or service professions, continues today, Taking children with working and mobile parents has long been characterised as creating third culture kids who do not belong to either originating or hosting societies. Today, however, it is less the case that this can be adequately described as travel 'out from' and 'back to' the geo-political centres. This changing socio-cultural reality means reexamining what kinds of educational opportunities and experiences children are exposed to and the effects of these on young people.

Where I’m from? Third Culture Kids about their cultural identity shifts and belonging

“…Moreover, to put our sample size into perspective, we checked earlier published qualitative TCK-research. In the 19 empirical studies on TCKs from 2004 to 2020 which we were able to trace (Bikos et al, 2014;Bjørnsen, 2020;Désilets, 2016;Fanning & Burns, 2017;Gambhir & Rhein, 2019;Gilbert, 2008;Greenholtz & Kim, 2009;Kwon, 2019;Lijadi & Van Schalkwyk, 2014;Park, 2019;Moore & Barker, 2012;Murai, 2016;Poonoosamy, 2018;Purdon, 2018;Purnell & Hoban, 2014;Smith & Kearney, 2016;Walters & Auton-Cuff, 2009;Westropp, Cathro, & Everett, 2016) the following sample size information was found. Only five studies had sample sizes larger than 20 (27, 30, 42, 43 and 74), one study had a sample of 20 TCKs, and 14 studies had sample sizes which were smaller than 20.…”