| More than four million Americans living abroad are being acculturated or enculturated in a host culture every year who are identified as third culture people. When third culture people reenter their home country, they are faced with multi-dimensional reacculturation issues. This study aims to deepen the understanding of what it means to be a third culture person and to articulate the third culture phenomenon. Intercultural adaptation theories, relevant psychological theories, and cultural identity (including third culture building) comprised the literature review. A constructivist paradigm shaped the research framework. The hermeneutic-dialectic process was used to explore the third culture phenomenon through interactive interviews that focused on the personal lived experiences of the participants. Twenty-five third culture persons participated in this study. Their experience ranged between two and thirty years in a host culture before returning to their home culture. Similar themes emerged from the two data sets (participants acculturated and participants enculturated in a host culture) providing primary and secondary thematic frameworks. The primary thematic framework that emerged from the data that was gathered from both types of third culture participants includes: (a) reacculturation issues, (b) marginalization issues, (c) support and belonging issues, (d) identity factors, (e) benefits of the third culture heritage, and (f) reentry preparation issues. The secondary thematic framework is built on views expressed by participants and includes (a) the belief that the interview was worthwhile, (b) more information is needed, (c) a sense of comradery developed, (d) a time for reflection is valuable, (e) the third culture experience was positive, and (f) a sense of empowerment developed. Both the primary and the secondary thematic frameworks could be utilized as valuable resources to support effective trans-cultural training programs for people at all stages of transition. University programs for third culture students reentering their home culture for educational purposes could be enhanced by the findings of this research. Support structures for retirees and dependent family members engaging in transition from host to home culture could be developed based on information from this study. |
