In: Citizenship as a Challenge
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Abstract
Today’s mobile and highly globalised world has created groups of people who have grown up inside multiple, often initially foreign, cultures. Such people frequently (invisibly) struggle with a confused sense of identity due to personal histories, which often involve transitions, grief and the struggle to fit in. These ‘new’ citizens, or identities, are on the rise and should therefore, not be overlooked.
Intensive research conducted at a European school in 2012 served as a starting point for this chapter. It was carried out among ‘Third Culture Kids’ with various cultural and social backgrounds, concentrating on their perception of friendship in relation to their cultural backgrounds. Much of what came up during that research could not be pursued the way I wanted. After all the interesting discoveries I made during my involvement with the children and the analysis of the topic, this chapter calls to attention these new identities by focusing on the roots of their often seemingly confused sense of identity. It provides information on bi- and multiculturalism and particularly, ‘Third Culture Kids’. It will also outline what roles globalisation, transition and losses play in the life of an (Adult) Third Culture Kid. Using personal interviews and encounters, firsthand accounts will be presented within the chapter. This chapter hopes to contribute to a wider acknowledgment and awareness of this ‘lost generation’, and bring to attention a whole group of ‘citizens’ who, in many cases, have fallen between the cracks.