Before Adolescence
Adolescence, as we know it today, is a relatively recent invention, and in Part 1, we are considering what life was like before western culture created adolescence. Until a century or two ago, people went directly from being children to being adults, even in western culture. This transition was often marked by a meaningful ceremony, and sometimes there was a brief period (usually not more than a year) when the new adult was on a kind of “probation.” In those days, like in some cultures today, it was clear who were children and who were adults—and the only “adolescents” were those experiencing their growth spurts.
Although Third Culture Kids (TCKs) have existed for thousands of years, only during the last half century have people become aware of the characteristics of TCKs. During the 1950s Drs. John and Ruth Hill Useem studied American families living in India. Of course, while there they met expatriate families from other countries as well. The Useems discovered that those who had spent time growing up in a culture other than that of their parents often had much in common regardless of what the cultures were. They proposed the term “Third Culture Kids” to describe these individuals.
The chapters in Part 1 describe teenagers who were not adolescents. Chapter 1 is about teenagers who were neither TCKs nor adolescents. Chapter 2 is about teenagers who were TCKs but not adolescents. Understanding the differences between teenagers, TCKs, and adolescents is vital in navigating those confusing years. Both chapters end with suggestions for adolescent TCKs.