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ByShelly Lyons on Monday, November 14, 2022

Adult Third Culture Kid Research

Shelly Lyons By Shelly Lyons on Monday, November 14, 2022

 

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. "

Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK) Research

One of the main reasons I decided to pursue doctoral studies was to conduct research. Not just any research, but ATCK research. For many years, I worked with children, teens, and adults from various mission agencies, preparing them for international ministry and helping them transition back to Canada.

As I listened to their stories of joy and heartbreak, accomplishments and struggles, I realized that there is so much more that we, as caregivers and organizations, can learn from these international workers and their families to contribute to their transition and healing. In particular, we need to find new ways to help them help themselves, long after the end of the transition retreats and workshops we offer.

The question I am exploring for my research is “How can spiritual self-leadership encourage identity development and sense of belonging in ATCKs in order for them to fully realize their potential and value contribution in the workplace?” Let’s unpack this…

Why ATCKs?

ATCKs, adults who have been shaped by their childhood mobility and cross-cultural experiences, have developed extraordinary skills and knowledge which are assets in our increasingly diverse society and workplaces – an expanded worldview, cross-cultural appreciation and understanding, and linguistic ability. Additionally, ATCKs are experts at adapting to many different situations, cultures, and places. Some claim ATCKs are the global leaders many organizations so desperately need in our globalized world.

Coupled with these amazing contributions are ATCKs’ struggles with identity creation and sense of belonging. These struggles can detract from their development personally and professionally and cause them to experience isolation, fractured relationships, mental health issues, and unhealthy restlessness, which could have lasting negative effects. These outcomes can also impact the organizations in which ATCKs work and cause a drain on financial and non-financial resources.

Why Spiritual Self-Leadership?

I am drawing this concept from the Spiritual Leadership Model developed by Louis Fry. The model provides a pathway for leaders to lead spiritually with beneficial outcomes for both their followers and the organization. My research proposes that this same model can be used as a pathway for ATCKs to lead themselves spiritually in order to encourage identity development and sense of belonging. To this point, this model has not been applied to self-leadership or ATCKs.

Inner life is the beginning of the model and is the wellspring of spiritual leadership. Inner life includes an individual’s faith, identity, self-esteem, and personal values. When we nurture our inner life through self-reflection, purposeful living, authenticity, and spiritual development, our capacity to lead spiritually increases. Spiritual leadership, according to the model, consists of three components – hope/faith, vision, and altruistic love – all of which are inextricably connected. Leading spiritually means providing a picture of a desired future, instilling the hope and faith that it will happen, and genuinely caring for others and helping them to grow and succeed. When we exercise spiritual leadership, the outflow is a sense of purpose and belonging, which then results in greater life satisfaction, and organizational commitment and productivity.

When we turn this model towards self-leadership and focus on ourselves, nurturing our inner life can provide a foundation upon which we can learn to love ourselves and create goals towards a better future for ourselves. As a result, we are inspired towards a greater sense of purpose and belonging.

For ATCKs, the key pieces in this model are inner life (identity) and belonging.

If ATCKs practice spiritual self-leadership, it could contribute to development of their inner life and foster their sense of belonging and identity development.

Research Objectives

I hope to discover how spiritual self-leadership can help ATCKs with the challenges of identity and belonging, as well as explore how their faith journey impacts who they are and their ability to spiritually lead themselves.

I also hope to develop strategies that ATCKs can use to promote spiritual self-leadership and leverage their value within their workplaces.

This research will be funded through Mitacs Accelerate funding over four years, in partnership with MORE Network. Since virtually no Canadian-based ATCK or TCK research exists, we hope to use this funding to fill this gap.

(Fry, L. W., Latham, J. R., Clinebell, S. K., & Krahnke, K. (2017). Spiritual leadership as a model for performance excellence: a study of Baldrige award recipients. Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 14(1), 22–47., p. 25)


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!



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Did you miss our past blogs? Check them out below!

 

5 Ways to Pray for MORE Network in 2024

At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to lead the Israelites to a land flowing with milk and honey but that He would not go with them. In response Moses says in verse 15, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”

Just as Moses did not want to go forward without God, neither do we in the MORE Network. Not only do we want God to direct us in the way we should go in 2024, but we also want His presence to go with us.

Here are 5 Areas of Prayer for the MORE Network in 2024! 

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Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary. 

How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s) & culture, and how to buy food and learn to survive, let alone thrive? ...

 

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While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in the overseas ministry context for many years. And boy, did I feel inadequate for the task as some of them had faithfully served a lifetime, having much more cross-cultural experience than I have and the wisdom that accompanies such incredible life experiences.

But what struck me the most and motivated me all the more to listen, was that many of these seasoned missionaries never had the opportunity to actually share their full stories with anyone – that is their deeply personal and valuable stories, the good, the bad and the ugly. And that’s really a reflection and a limitation of our modern missionary movement; missionaries often feel obligated to share only the positive experiences and their successes, lest they be judged or misunderstood, or worse, lose vital financial or personal support...

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Each year, the MORE Network runs Classic ReBoot, a re-entry retreat for missionaries’ kids (MKs) aged 17-20 returning to life in Canada. This is a crucial time in the lives of these young adults, many of whom are not only adjusting to a new culture, but also to new schools, jobs, relationships, and living situations.

In this article, Malik, shares about his own experience at Classic ReBoot, as well as an inside scoop from attendees of the most recent Classic ReBoot!

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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 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."

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I didn’t know a lot back then about what it means to follow Jesus, but I did know Jesus as the Saviour who pulls little children closer, drowning out harshness with His greatness. His hands had sheltered my heart throughout my youth and brought along gifts of companionship, discipleship, and understanding. I felt cherished by Jesus and it was his inordinate compassion towards me that kept me tethered to Him. 

Deny - the word sprang out at me, convicting and exposing me. 

What did that mean? 

I was well positioned to pursue the American Dream and succeed at it, and denying myself in any way was not really part of the plan. So tangibly struck, I fumbled to respond to those words within our group, finally landing on, “I don’t think I’m doing that”. 

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” -Mark 8:35

Oh boy, somehow denying myself was connected to losing my life and that was not anywhere on my to-do list. I was on track for a comfortable life, full of all the perks of a first-world society, with no regard for the reality that no one avoids suffering anyway...

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At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14: “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV) Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to l...
Read more...
Lament of a Returning Missionary
Loosely based on Psalm 13, here is a prayer of lament of a returning missionary.  How long, Lord, will I miss our former HOME where I sobbed in frustration and prayed, pounding on heaven’s door to learn language(s...
Read more...
Christmas Memories from Around the World
Watermelon, Handprints and Fireworks ... What do they all have in common? They are all elements of favourite Christmas memories and traditions from our MORE Network staff, from around the world! 
Read more...
Deeply Rooted
We invite you to join us during this season of generosity so that, together, we can give Missionary Kids and their families the opportunities to experience a richer soil in Christ and broader branches in community. 
Read more...
The Eternal Benefits of Debriefing
I recently returned from RE-VIEW, a week-long family debriefing retreat, where I served as an adult facilitator and debriefer. While there, I had the honour of hearing the stories of missionaries who have worked in...
Read more...
Bonds Beyond Borders: The Impact of ReBoot on MKs
There is something so beautiful about the quick bonds that form between MKs (Missionary Kids), who understand each other despite having drastically different life experiences. It’s like a breath of fresh air to be surro...
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...
Deny Yourself: My Story of Self-Denial & Abundant Life
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” -Mark 8:34 I still remember the moment I heard the words of Mark 8, grasping their significance for the first time. Si...
Read more...
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Building relationships is the first and foremost thing we should be about - everything else comes out of relationships. Building relationships with people from other cultures is so important, as humor; lifestyle; values...
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