Misunderstood Reading Notes

Chapter 1
Big Idea #1 Shared Cultures of TCK
 Legal Culture – any country in which the child has legal standing: their passport
country. This includes permanent residency in a country.
 Geographic Culture – any culture in which a child has lived
o Geographic and legal culture contributes to a TCKs worldview.
 Relational Culture – culture of shared experiences
o People who relate to each other because they have been through similar
things. Many TCKs identify strongly with people who have shred childhood
experiences with them.
Big Idea #2 20th century TCKs vs. 21st century TCKs
 Changes in travel
o Early TCKs
 travelled on ships where the journey on the sea took a considerable
amount of time. This allowed time for the grief process. It is
considered a transition time.
 Not many options in communicating with friends or extended family
 When a TCK left a country, it felt permanent
o Today’s TCKs
 They travel frequently
 They get to see extended family more frequently.
 Drawback - lack of permanence; always on the move.
 Changes in education
 Changes in friendship
o 20th century
 Friends were people who lived nearby; when they moved, people
developed new friendships
 Core support networks were where they lived
o 21st century
 Internet changed communication, shrinking the distances
  TCKs stay in touch with each other very easily. Meeting someone
once or twice in a year can be enough to maintain a close friendship.
 Not uncommon for TCKs to have best friends in more than one city.
Big Idea3# Challenges of TCK Life
 Families are constantly moving which can contribute to family dysfunction
 Moving can be emotionally stressful
 Living abroad may be difficult but it does not have to be negative overall.
 Lots of TCKs feel misunderstood
o They can feel separated from the people they wish to share their
experiences with
 Family might not recognize the difficulties that they face.
 TCKs may always feel in a position of explaining to friends which
leaves them missing a sense of belonging. Explaining can be
exhausting.