Dr Magdalena Mosanya
Dr Magdalena Mosanya holds a PhD in Psychology and is the Discipline Lead for Psychology and Criminology at Murdoch University Dubai. Her extensive research experience is reflected in her authorship of numerous scientific publications and speeches given at international conferences. Dr Magdalena’s research interests span a wide range of areas, including intercultural communication, the well-being of third culture kids (TCKs), sports psychology, and women's emancipation. In addition, she is proficient in various therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and EMDR.
Cultural, social and individual barriers and resources as predictors of the cultural adaptation and acculturative stress of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) in the United Arab Emirates.
Background Globalisation processes and ease in mobility increased the number of children who grow up “between the cultures” in “mobile” families, so called third-culture kids (TCKs). TCKs do not accept any culture wholly; instead, they absorb diverse preferred cultural components of their host and home cultures. Extensive research exists on traditional migration, regarded as a relatively stable phenomenon. Yet, a scarcity of generalisable studies occurs on TCKs with particularly underrepresented non-Western populations.
Objectives We explored three groups of factors: cultural (multicultural identity configurations, cultural distance), social (marginalisation, family bonds, perceived host-country integrative strategies), and individual resources (self-efficacy, cultural intelligence) in their predictive effect on TCKs functioning (cultural adaptation and acculturative stress).
Method The sample consisted of non-Western (71 % South Asian) TCKs students (N=322, 75% Females, age M= 20 SD=3) living in the United Arab Emirates. We employed Multicultural Identity Integration Scale, Cultural Distance and Acculturation Stress Scale, The Social Connectedness Scale, Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, The Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale, Cultural Intelligence Scale, Sociocultural Adaptation Scale.
Results Two hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate the predictive effect of three blocks of factors (cultural, social, and individual) on cultural adaptation and acculturative stress of TCKs. The models explained 56% of the variance in cultural adaptation and 33% of the variance in acculturative stress. Cultural adaptation was positively predicted by multicultural identity integration, cultural intelligence, self-efficacy, family bonds and host-country integrative practices but negatively by social marginalisation and multicultural identity compartmentalisation. Acculturative stress was predicted positively by marginalisation, cultural distance and multicultural identity compartmentalisation but negatively by cultural intelligence and multicultural identity categorisation and integration.
Importance The present study provided insight into the role of multicultural identity configurations in TCKs functioning and highlighted multicultural identity integration, family bonds, social inclusiveness and host country integrative efforts as contributors to TCKs thriving.