Boundaries and the Restriction of Mobility within International School Communities: A Case Study from Germany

Abstract

International schools are widely revered as institutions, which offer interstitial cultures of their own to accommodate “Third Culture Kids” of privileged migrant families. Originally established to ease transitions for internationally mobile families from one national context to the next, these schools can be viewed as cosmopolitan hubs for expatriate families — offering a standardized educational system and community, which is readily available across the globe. The term, “Third Culture Kid” is very often associated with children of expatriate families attending international schools — for the reason that these children are particularly mobile: oftentimes experiencing multiple international relocations during their formative years. The label suggests that the child stands in a “third space” between the culture of their passport country and that of the host country — whilst not necessarily feeling attached to either. In this way, TCKs have since been classified as a unique group of individuals who share a common upbringing as being “displaced and uprooted” (Malkki, 1992, p. 25). This communal “third culture” to which all TCKs are bound may be directly related to the international school global network — a space, which accepts and cultivates a culturally diverse population joined together through shared nomadic experiences.