The Trials and Tribulations of Egypt's Third Culture Kids
By Ahmed Maged
Reprinted from 'Daily News Egypt' (August 18, 2008)
CAIRO: 'Cross culture children', 'natty nomads', 'cultural chameleons' are all around us. But away from what may sound like derogatory names, sociologists call them Third Culture Kids (TCK) -- a term coined decades ago to describe the conditions of children exposed to the values and lifestyle of one or several cultures before returning to settle permanently in their homeland. In the process they manage to integrate elements of those cultures and their own birth culture into a third culture.
But as TCKs begin to mingle with their compatriots and attempt to adapt and share experiences, an inward conflict often arises, deterring them from joining the mainstream culture.
According to sociological research, regardless of nationality, TCKs tend to have more in common with one another than they do with non-TCKs from their own country.
Although popular sites like Facebook, Myspace, and TCKID have groups devoted to TCKs, the phenomenon has received little recognition by Egyptian and Arab researchers and expatriates alike.
Hilaliya, a weblog published in English by a Kuwaiti TCK, is perhaps the only channel from the region devoted to a group of Arab TCKs.
