| Children's behavioral and psychological development suffers if they do not achieve a firm sense of identity, and this is in turn connected to psychological problems in adulthood (Morrison & Bordere, 2001). Achieved identity has been related to psychological well-being and generativity (Erikson, 1980) while identity diffusion is known to be connected with low self-esteem, substance abuse, and difficulties in academic and social skills. These difficulties may be accentuated among those who experienced moving across diverse, and sometimes conflicting, cultures while at the same time developing an individual sense of identity, an increasingly common phenomenon in today's globalized world.; This phenomenological study contributes to the empirical literature on third culture identity, identity development and the role of language in third culture identity development, through the lens of memory and life stories.; In this study, identity was conceptually framed by Erikson's (1980) work and both anecdotal and empirical literature formed the basis by which to identify "third culture" participants. Participants were interviewed using a modified version of Seidman's (1998) three stage interview method, and data was analyzed using Moustaka's (1994) empirical psychological phenomenological method (EPPM). There were ten participants from a variety of national and cultural backgrounds.; Findings revealed that third culture identity characteristics grouped around ten themes, eight of which concur with the anecdotal and the more limited empirical work on "third culture identity", and two of which were new to the literature.; The study concluded that traditional identity development theories were not sufficient to explain or describe the third culture identity and that a multiparadigmatic view was needed. The study also proposes that the role of language in identity development among the third culture participants is closely connected to social identity.; The findings from this study enrich the understanding of the third culture identity, and suggest contributions to the research in the fields of identity, education and global HRD. |
