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Third CultureStories
Hello, I’m Marc Levitt, writer/storyteller and educator and I
want to welcome you to Third Culture Stories, a web
site devoted to the writings of the young and old, of students,
teachers, parents and all of you who are struggling with, happy
about, bemused and confused about the issue of ‘identity’
in a world where national, ethnic, racial boundaries are becoming
more and more porous and open to question.
First,
let’s have a little history about the term ‘Third
Culture’. Ruth Hill Useem, first used
‘Third Culture Kid’, 40 years ago in her
research on North American children living in India. Originally
referring to children of missionaries or state department officials,
this term can now be extended to the children of corporate executives
riding the wave of globalization, children of parents who teach in
the International School community and sons and daughters of men and
women in the military. While of course there have always been both
children and adults who have lived ‘abroad’, it seems the
numbers are increasing as international markets are opened and
expanded.
Some
describe the Third Culture experience as living in a
place other than where your passport was issued. It can include those
who live either permanently or temporarily, for economic, personal
and/or political reasons, in a ‘new’ country.
Additionally, I feel that Third Culture Stories
should include writings from those of ‘mixed’ parentage.
Many issues they face about identity are similar to those experienced
by Third Culture children and adults.
So, if
you’ve wondered ‘Who you are’, ‘Where
you’re from’, thought about how hard it is to leave
and/or arrive or felt that it was all too confusing, then this is the
web site for you!
NEWS Marc visited the The American International School of Johannesburg in the spring 2011. Here are 8th Grader's stories from 2011 and 2012/2013:
Click here for a special section of stories from The American International School of Johannesburg!
"As teachers, we are constantly challenged to create contextual summative assessments for our students. Using Marc Levitt’s website has allowed for a very meaningful and relevant study of the personal narrative for my Third Culture Students. Through reading stories posted from around the globe, my students have not only gained an understanding of what it takes to write an effective story, but they have also learned that they aren’t alone in their adventures of living abroad."
Jill Miller, The American International School of Johannesburg
2013
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