"Third Culture"

[jennizane]

In describing some issues with people who identify with 'third culture':

"Van Reken says the third culture is the interstitial culture, the shared commonalities of those living international lifestyles. The 'third culture' is interwoven with the home culture or 'first culture', which is interwoven with the experience in the host or 'second'

Comments

[didzter]

I've had a new set of friends, new lifestyle, new enviornment every four years of my life. I just learned to adapt and embrace the whole 'third culture' idea. TCK_WORLD is a more appropriate community I think where you can find some of the answers you're looking for.

There can be a sense of 'rootlessness' but I think for that to happen, moving must occur during one's childhood. I don't know about your particular situation.

And you shouldn't always focus on the negatives, because although a lot of us do not have a particular home to identify with, we tend to borrow different ideas and concepts from the various environments we live in. And for the most part, people I meet who have moved around a lot are a lot more chill and know how to have real fun 8).

But, I recommend you checking out that community i suggested. There may be another one, just check my profile if you're curious. And if you have any questions just ask..

[jetspeaks]

I don't know that rootlessness need necessarily be a bad thing, although the OP did speak of feeling fucked by all the moving (I'm curious to know why, if it was so bad for him/her?).

I think the merged cultuire thing can be a really good thing, though.

[jetspeaks]

Another challenge of a 'mobile' upbringing is the sense of 'rootlessness' that it can develop.

I didn't have a mobile upbringing, rather lived in the same city until I was 17 and a half, when I left (Australia) as an exchange student to Belgium. After I came home, though, I knew that I wasn't going to stay put again, as if tearing up the roots had prevented them from taking again.

I'm now living in the US, have been for 8 years, and I still don't feel particularly "settled". Sometimes I think I'd like to go back to Australia for a while, sometimes I think I'd like to experience something else. Guess I'm a wanderer. :)

[randomeliza]

Van Reken says there can be an inability to settle down and even a tendency to physically leave situations and people as an option rather than dealing with them.

Okay, yeah, I'll own up to that one. I'd even say that this was an aspect of my personality before I started living abroad - perhaps living out of the country just allowed me to explain it better.