We're airing this podcast in honor of mkPLANET's 10th anniversary.  <a href="http://mkplanet.com/a-10th-anniversary-letter" target="_blank">Check here for more ways we're marking the occasion!</a>

In this interview with three MKs, Dan, Lindsay and Joel tell us how culture shock plays out for kids when their families move to another country.

Dan, Lindsay and Joel are Third Culture Kids (TCKs). TCKs aren’t kids by definition. Rather, this term describes where and how a person lived during their formative years, namely childhood and adolescence. 

David C. Pollock and Ruth Van Reken wrote the go-to book on TCKs, “Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds” (Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ugTlkT.) In it, they explain:

"A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents' culture. The third culture kid builds relationships to all the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the third culture kid's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background, other TCKs."

TCKs adopt assumptions, values and norms from each culture in which they live. TCKs also cross cultures daily, getting a dose of their parents’ culture at home and a helping of the local culture at school and in their neighborhoods. 

TCKs enter and exit cultures with ease, navigate social norms and fit into the most appropriate role for their environment. But that doesn’t mean they don’t run into culture shock along the way. 

Here’s where Dan, Lindsay and Joel come in. Each of them tells a story about culture shock from their childhood overseas, ranging from painted warriors to surprising superstitions to becoming a hunter’s prey when an innocent game goes sour.

0:00 – 0:21 Dana introduces the topic of cross-cultural stories as seen through the eyes of a TCK, followed by an introduction to Dan’s story.

0:22 – 2:44 Dan talks about the time he and his brother found themselves in the middle of a tribal conflict in Papua New Guinea.

2:45 - 2:51 Dana introduces Lindsay’s story.

2:52 – 4:32 Lindsay tells listeners how she and her sister encountered a Ukrainian superstition.

4:33 – 4:50 Dana introduces Joel’s story.

4:51 – 7:35 Joel talks about a lesson he learned in Indonesia during a game of marbles.

7:36 – 7:54 Dana gives a brief conclusion to the podcast.

mkPLANET Special - MK Stories Podcast

mkPLANET is an online community connecting MKs, their families, and member care workers. We strive to provide a safe and open environment for interaction, information, and support.