A story to tell: the identity development of women growing up as third culture kids

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how women growing up in multiple cultures navigate their way through emerging adulthood and develop a sense of identity. A third culture kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside of the parents’ culture. An interview with guiding questions was conducted with eight women between the ages of 18 and 23, and the interviews were analysed utilising the feminist, voice-centred method known as the Listening Guide (Brown & Gilligan, 1992). The following themes emerged through analysis: (a) the disruption of transition, (b) the stability of spirituality, (c) the pervasiveness of “different,” (d) the silencing of voice, (e) the sense of belonging, and (f) the autobiographers as women.

Keywords:

• third culture kids
• identity development
• transition
• women's identity development
• qualitative research
• missionary kids