Growing Up As A Third Culture Kid and Its Impact On Psychological Well-Being and Interpersonal Relatedness

: A Critical Realist Grounded Theory 

Abstract

Third culture kids (TCKs) are people who lived outside their parent’s passport country before the age of 18 for temporary reasons, such as their parent’s work or advanced training, for at least one year. Despite the growing prevalence of TCKs with increased globalization, there is little empirical evidence as to how growing up this way impacts psychological well-being and interpersonal relatedness. This study aimed to develop a critical realist grounded theory of how growing up as a TCK impacts psychological well-being and interpersonal relatedness. Sixteen participants from around the world were recruited via online TCK communities and took part in an hour-and-a-half online Zoom interview. This data was then analyzed consistent with a critical realist grounded theory approach, and a theory was developed. The findings suggest that growing up as a TCK impacts psychological well-being and interpersonal relatedness in various ways. Repeated relational loss and rebuilding, a lack of control and choice, and meaningful engagement with many new places, people, cultures, and situations were found as primary themes. The repeated relational loss and rebuilding that TCKs experience in childhood can lead to a strong core group of friends, with other interpersonal connections beyond this being difficult to reach emotional depth in and maintain. For a lack of control and choice, communication and emotional support from parents were found to be imperative in determining psychological well-being outcomes. Lastly, meaningful engagement with cross-cultural experiences led to the development of resilience, empathy, and independence. Furthermore, the intersectional privilege of a TCK can determine the systemic issues and discrimination they face, which impact their psychological well-being. These findings are discussed in relation to counseling psychology and its implications.

Date of Award	11 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Roehampton
Supervisor	Gella Richards (Director of Studies) & Savin Bapir-Tardy (Co-Supervisor)