Third Culture Kids 4th Edition

How do we develop our identity when growing among so many worlds?

There is no single answer, just like there is no single, cookie-cutter, cross-cultural childhood. But for those of us who grew up between cultures, we share certain feelings, experiences, and ways of viewing the world. By examining these commonalities and how our cross-cultural upbringing shaped us, we deepen our understanding of ourselves and those around us. We can make sense of our own story.

We are Third Culture Kids (TCKs), kids who temporarily lived outside at least one of our parent's home cultures. In this 4th edition of the ground-breaking, global classic on TCKs, Ruth E. Van Reken, Cynthia Green, and Michael V. Pollock expand the multi-layered TCK story and position TCKs in a wider group of those impacted by a vast array of cross-cultural childhoods. This significantly updated resource includes more international stories than ever and features new discussions on identity formation, belonging, loss & grief, resilience, and the value inherent in cross-cultural childhoods.

Reading this book is a step towards self-discovery. Once you know how growing up among worlds adds value to your life and how to successfully navigate common challenges, the future is full of possibilities.

Cynthia Green (Author)
Cynthia Green M.A. grew up as a third culture/cross-cultural kid in Colombia and Singapore, studied history in the US and kept moving as an adult. After stays in Russia, Japan, and the Netherlands, Cynthia settled in France, where she currently resides with her husband and T/CCK son. Cynthia is a historian, speaks six languages and has published over sixty articles about how culture travels and its impact on individuals and societies. She is also author of the fictional Blue Feet Monsoon series that explores growing up among cultural worlds. You can find links to some of her work and upcoming events on her website https://www.cynthiagreenauthor.com/ and on her Academia page emory.academia.edu/CynthiaGreen. She also hosts the cross-cultural podcast @ConversationsWithCynthia on Youtube.

Ruth E. Van Reken (Author)
Ruth Van Reken, D.Litt, h.c. was born in Kano, Nigeria as a second generation Third Culture Kid (TCK) and is the mother of three now adult TCKs. She is co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd eds., and author of Letters Never Sent, her personal journaling seeking to understand the long-term impact of her cross-cultural childhood in addition to many articles and other book chapters. For forty years, Ruth has traveled extensively speaking about issues related to the impact of cross-cultural mobility on individuals, families, and societies. She is co-founder and past chairperson of Families in Global Transition (FIGT)and Vice-President of the Governing Board of Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN). In 2019 she received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Wheaton College for her work in this field. Learn more at: www.crossculturalkid.org.

Michael V. Pollock (Author)
Michael V Pollock MEd is an educator, speaker, consultant, and third culture coach with over 3 decades of experience in education, cross-cultural transition, and Third Culture care. An adult TCK himself and son of David Pollock, Michael grew up between the US and Kenya and married the daughter of US medical workers to Sierra Leone. Together, they raised three TCKs between China and the US.
In 2012, Michael founded and directs DARAJA, a not-for-profit advocating for and providing robust wellness resources for third culture families, children, and adult TCKs. Michael sees ATCKs poised as "connectors" and leaders of positive change. Over his many years in this field, he has contributed both writing and images to various TCK focused magazines and compiled books. Learn more at https://www.darajatck.org/