Intercultural Communication and Translation News

In a world where international careers are becoming commonplace, the phenomenon of third culture kids (TCKs) – children who spend a significant portion of their developmental years in a culture outside their parents’ passport culture(s) – is increasing exponentially. Not only is their number increasing, but the cultural complexity and relevance of their experience and the adult TCKs (ATCKs) they become, is also growing.

When Ruth Hill Useem, a sociologist, first coined this term in the 1950s, she spent a year researching expatriates in India. She discovered that folks who came from their home (or first) culture and moved to a host (or second) culture, had, in reality, formed a culture, or lifestyle, different from either the first or second cultures. She called this the third culture and the children who grew up in this lifestyle third culture kids. At that time, most expatriate families had parents from the same culture and they often remained in one host culture while overseas.

This is no longer the case. Take, for example, Brice Royer, the founder of TCKid.com. His father is a half-French/half-Vietnamese UN peacekeeper while his mom is Ethiopian. Brice lived in seven countries before he was eighteen including France, Mayotte, La Reunion, Ethiopia, Egypt, Canada, and England. He writes, “When people ask me ‘Where are you from?,’ I just joke around and say, ‘My mom says I’m from heaven’.” What other answer can he give?

Read more > Telegraph

PepsiCo’s Indra K. Nooyi is on a new realisation about the land of her birth as she leads the board of her global food and beverage empire at a meeting in Mumbai this week.

“We feel that solutions which have been devised by us around the world, cannot be imposed here. The company needs to find unique solutions for India,” Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo told a news conference in Delhi.

PepsiCo’s brands such as Lays are already being complemented by local tags like Kurkure and lemon drink Nimbooz in a market in which its mainstay business, soft drinks, has faced a tough battle with traditional rival Coca Cola, which made waves in the rural hinterland with its Rs. 5-rupee bottle that attracted attention.

For Coca-Cola, which entered India in 1993, four years after its rival, sales volumes have grown for more than three years.

Nooyi said PepsiCo plans to customise its food and beverage products to suit the requirements of the Indian market.

Atul Singh, president and CEO of Coca Cola India said he would not discuss strategy. Coke has introduced local products such as Aam Panna as it eyes an investment plan of $250 million for India.

“We do not devise our marketing strategies according to any company’s plans. We continuously evaluate our options and our products are a result of continuous research initiatives,” said Singh.

PepsiCo’s three-day board meeting, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, is also aimed at creating awareness about India’s culture and product needs.

Read more > India