Adult Third Culture Kid Research: The Heart Behind the Research

MORE Network /Monday, August 14, 2023

 

This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will be used!

Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCK) are adults whose lives were shaped by mobility and cross-cultural experiences during their childhood. According to Merriam Webster, a “Third Culture Kid (TCK)” refers to "a child who grows up in a culture different from the one in which his or her parents grew up ... The 'third culture' to which the term refers is the mixed identity that a child assumes, influenced both by their parents' culture and the culture in which they are raised."

What is the “heart” behind your research?

To put it simply, I love TCKs! Although I am not a TCK myself, I am privileged to have many friends who are TCKs or have TCK children. I am excited to be partnering with MORE Network to do this research focusing on such an amazing group of people!

My passion began while I was working with a mission organization, meeting families who have served internationally or cross-culturally or both. As I listened to their stories, I realized that there was so much I could learn from them, particularly from their times of transition. I started on this path of research for my Master’s degree, as well as developing and facilitating programs for families transitioning back to Canada. 

Along the way, I met some amazing TCKs whose stories inspired me, while at the same time, broke my heart. I recognized the potential that TCKs have for impact in their homes, workplaces, communities, and beyond! The knowledge and skills they have gained through living cross-culturally are sorely needed, particularly as our country continues to become so richly diverse. However, I also realized that many TCKs are hurting, struggling with creating their identity and their feelings of not fully belonging anywhere, a result of their years of mobility and unresolved, and often accumulated, grief from saying goodbye too many times. I love that there are organizations like MORE Network who are offering transition retreats, resources, and support to TCKs. I also know that there is much we can learn from TCKs on how to do these things more effectively. 

What are some of the specific things you are exploring in this research?

The focus of our research is the Adult TCK’s experience.  We are exploring the broad themes of career, faith and spirituality, mental and emotional well-being, and relationships.  We have also added some demographic questions to better understand what experiences have impacted these themes.

Is there a specific question on the survey that you are especially excited to see the results?

I don’t know if there is a specific question I am most excited about as they are all such important subjects in themselves! I am interested to see how many of the themes may connect to the TCK experience. I believe the findings are what I am most excited about and seeing the impact of those findings on the practice of caring for ATCKs, as well as for ATCKs themselves!

In addition to this research project, I am also working on my doctoral dissertation research which focuses on how spiritual self-leadership can foster identity development and sense of belonging in ATCKs in order for them to elevate their potential and value contribution in the workplace. Many of the themes and questions in this survey flow into my dissertation research, so I am very excited to see how the answers may intersect. 

When you think “big picture”, how do you hope the findings from this research are used?

Wow … big picture … I am dreaming big for the impact of this research, as well as for my doctoral dissertation research!

First, and foremost, I hope the findings will have an impact on the lives of ATCKs. If even one person finds a nugget that they find useful in their journey, I will feel as though the research was worth it!  However, I hope it doesn’t stop there! 

I would also like to see the findings inform how we care and support ATCKs.  I want this information to be helpful to individuals and organizations who develop materials and programs for ATCKs. I would also love to have these findings be included in the academic literature and highlighted at academic conferences. I believe that the findings can have applicability beyond ATCKs to include others with cross-cultural experience.

Doing this research has been a desire of mine for many years and the primary reason for beginning my doctoral journey. I believe in the importance of this research and am confident that is why God has opened these doors, both for my doctoral studies and my partnership with MORE.

This is why I am dreaming big … I know God has a purpose and a plan in all of this and I am excited to join His plan in whatever way He sees fit.


If you are an ATCK (Adult Third Culture Kid), we are looking for participants from all backgrounds, all age groups (18+), from anywhere in the world. You can take the survey here: Adult Third Culture Kid Survey 

If you’d like more details on this research, check out this article: Adult Third Culture Kid Research 


Shelly Lyons and her husband Shane live in Oxford, Nova Scotia. She is Assistant Professor of Organizational Management at Crandall University and a Doctor of Business Administration candidate at Royal Roads University. She also serves on two teams at Outreach Canada. Shelly is the National Trainer and on the National Coordination Team for Simply Mobilizing Canada. She is also part of the MORE Network, where she has served as the Director for Classic ReBoot, a transition retreat for Missionary Kids transitioning back to Canada. If Shelly had a free afternoon, you'd probably find her either reading, or spending time with her husband & her dog!


SUBSCRIBE

print


Return
The OC Global Alliance: Our Ministries
184,163 decisions for Christ. 27,981 churches established with our assistance. 100,000+ leaders trained or mentored. These are stats from the annual report of the OC Global Alliance last year. To God be the Glory! Shari...
Read more...
A Family of Ministries
Outreach Canada is made up of several ministry teams – all with their own unique contexts and specific focuses, spread across our country. What’s the common thread? How do we all fit together? In the same way you might ...
Read more...
Discovery Bible Study: A Challenge for Canadian Ministry Leaders
In the first two parts of this blog series, we shared Teresa’s story of introduction to Discovery Bible Study (Part 1) as well as stories of Teresa’s missionary journey through Asia (Part 2).  In this final install...
Read more...
Stories of a Disciple-Making Movement in Asia (Part 2)
In her modern-day missionary journeys throughout Asia, Teresa has been focusing on training leaders and equipping them to facilitate disciple-making-movements, primarily through the tool of Discovery Bible Study. In thi...
Read more...
How an Introduction to Discovery Bible Study led to a Disciple-Making Movement
“She has a map! That's just like in the back of your Bible, the missionary journeys of Paul”, Craig Kraft, OC’s Executive Director, excitedly shared about an OC missionary and her recent travels through southeast Asia. ...
Read more...
A Worldview Story: Set Free
One of the challenges of interacting cross-culturally with our neighbours is that we understand our own worldview very clearly, but people coming from other cultures come with a different perspective. Each of us is conv...
Read more...
4 Disciple Multiplication Stories
We pray that these four stories about disciple-making & disciple multiplication (from Simply Mobilizing Canada) encourage your heart and inspire you to action! The Letter - the story of just one letter and ho...
Read more...
Adult Third Culture Kid Research: The Heart Behind the Research
This summer, we had the privilege of connecting with Shelly Lyons about her research on Adult Third Culture Kids. Listen in to hear more about the “heart” behind the research and her big picture dreams for how it will b...
Read more...
Is Competition a Biblical Value?
One Sunday morning in the church where I pastored, a family came to me and shared how some of their friends had left our church to go to another church: a "competitor church". They were completely distracted by their ne...
Read more...
Collaborate with Confidence
In May 2023, Phil Cox, our OC Director of Technology, travelled to Spain to participate in the OC Global Alliance bi-annual meetings. Our OC Global Alliance consists of 15 Mobilization Centres (OC is one of them!) and 1...
Read more...