El proceso de individuación de las representaciones sociales: Historia y reformulación de un problema / Individuation process of social representations: History and reformulation of a problem

El objetivo de este trabajo es elucidar el proceso por el cual los sujetos transforman las representaciones sociales al apropiarse de ellas, así como también el modo en el que éstas inciden en la formación de conceptos y en las acciones individuales. Por una parte, Duveen (2001) plantea el problema desde la perspectiva de la Psicología Social, recurriendo como instrumento a la Psicología del Desarrollo y piensa la individuación en el interior de las relaciones interpersonales. Por otra parte, Valsiner (2003) aborda esta problemática desde la Psicología Cultural, centrándose en la regulación del flujo de la experiencia intrapersonal, con el objetivo de superar la versión estática de las representaciones sociales que ha primado en la investigación empírica. El análisis de los argumentos esgrimidos por ambos autores permite concluir que el esfuerzo de pensar este proceso desde cualquiera de las disciplinas mencionadas de manera independiente, lleva a dificultades que sugieren la necesidad de una actividad interdisciplinaria.

The aim of this paper is to clarify the process by which individuals transform social representations while appropriating them and the way in which social representations influence on individual actions. Specifically, we will try to answer the following questions: Which are the characteristics of this process? Is it about active or passive internalization? Is it possible to study the concept of individuación (individuation) of social representations from a psychological point of view, regarding the concept itself and its formulation by social psychologies or is it necessary to reformulate it? Does the study of this process involve some kind of interdisciplinary activity? For this purpose, we shall raise the theoretical developments of two contemporary exponents of Psychology. On one hand, Duveen (2001) deals with the problem from the view of Social Psychology, appealing to Developmental Psychology as an instrument and he thinks of individuation amid interpersonal relationships. In this way he remarks that social representations do not act with regard to isolated individuals, but they rather act in pare interaction situations, resulting in the intervention of social and individual restrictions. However he is not able to specify the individuation process of social representations because he cannot adopt the child's point of view, in the way in which developmental psychology does. On the other hand, Valsiner (2003) deals with this problem from the perspective of developmental Cultural Psychology, focusing on the regulation of the flow of intrapersonal experience. His aim is to overcome the static version of social representations that have prevailed in empirical research. From his disciplinary perspective he considers social representations as social semiotic mediation artifacts, that enable individuals to pre-adapt to future events, making the experience of stability possible and integrating future anticipations of future and memories of the past. So, social representation constrains possibilities of action, enabling individual social representation to emerge. The author's main merit is the modification of Social Psychology standard version about the intra-subjective, because he analyzes the process by which an individual uses social representation to organize their experience. However, it is doubtful the use of certain typical concepts of the social representation theory that he uses and reformulates in terms of Developmental Psychology. The analysis of the arguments puts forward by both authors enable us to conclude that the problem of individuation leads to inevitable difficulties for those who deal with any of the mentioned disciplines. Despite researchers move in different problematic spaces, they share a common epistemic frame: the ontological assumption about a dialectic articulation between individual and society or between inter and intra subjective process. Therefore, we advocate for interdisciplinary activity, which is not only a rhetoric resource, but a base in a theoretical and methodological interchange at the moment of delimiting the object of study and to think of the research design. This resource will only be valid if it is focused from the perspective of conceptual discussion and empiric research based on a common epistemic framework. The problem of individuation refers to an object of study constituted by a system of interactions which components should be defined during the investigation itself. Now we face the challenge of studying complex systems. We consider that a dialogue between social and developmental psychologies has started and this should lead to the undertaking of joint investigations, which in time will become the right path for building a plausible explanation for this problem.

El problema de la individuación de las representaciones sociales: una perspectiva interdisciplinaria / The problem of individuation of social representations: an interdisciplinary perspective / O problema da individuação das representações sociais: uma perspectiva interdisciplinar

El problema de la individuación involucra a todo investigador que apele a las representaciones sociales para explicar fenómenos psicológicos. Sin embargo, la psicología social no ha podido esclarecer el siguiente problema: ¿Cómo participan los individuos en la aprobación de las representaciones producidas en la comunicación y la interacción social? En este trabajo intentaremos comprender dicho proceso mediante al análisis de los argumentos brindados por los principales referentes sobre el tema.Moscovici definió las representaciones sociales como constitutivas de la identidad de los individuos, pero no ocupó de su proceso de apropiación porque consideraba que esta tarea corresponde a la psicología del desarrollo. Siguiendo esta línea Duveen llevó acabo la articulación entre ambas disciplinas y postuló que los individuos reconstruyen activamente representaciones sociales al apropiarse de ellas. Asimismo, Valsiner intenta explicar este proceso desde la perspectiva de la psicología cultural del desarrollo, entendiendo a las representaciones sociales como herramientas culturales que desempeñan una función adaptativa respecto del futuro.A partir del análisis de los argumentos de los tres autores concluimos que el estudio de este proceso requiere de un trabajo interdisciplinario, sustentado en un marco epistémico común, de lo contrario si es abordado desde alguna de las disciplinas mencionadas de manera independiente es inevitable caer en reduccionismos.

The problem of social representation’s individuation process: an interdisciplinary perspective. The problem of individuation involves to any researcher that turns to social representations to explain psychological phenomenons. However, social psychology couldn’t found an answer for the following problem: How do individuals participate in the appropriation of social representation produced into communication and social interaction? In this paper we’ll try to understand that process, analyzing the arguments provided by the principal exponents of the subject.In the first place, Moscovici has defined social representations as constitutive of the individual’s identity, although, he didn’t take care about their individuation processes, because he considered that this work corresponds to developmental psychology. Following this line, Duveen has carried out the articulation between both disciplines and he states that the individuals actively reconstruct the social representations. Also, Valsiner try to explain this process from the perspective of developmental cultural psychology, understanding social representations as social tools that has and adaptive function whit regard to the future.Finally, afterwards analyze the arguments put forward by the three authors, we conclude that the study of this process requires a interdisciplinary work, based on a common epistemic frame, on the contrary, if it’s tackled by only one mentioned disciplines, it will be inevitable to fall in reductionisms.

O problema da individuação envolve todo pesquisador que utilize as representações sociais para explicar fenômenos psicológicos. Contudo, a psicologia social não pode esclarecer o seguinte problema: Como os indivíduos participam na apropriação das representações produzidas na comunicação e na interação social? Neste trabalho tentaremos compreender tal processo mediante a análise dos argumentos oferecidos pelas principais referências no tema.Moscovici definiu as representações sociais como constitutivas da identidade dos indivíduos, mas não se ocupou de seu processo de apropriação porque considerada que esta tarefa corresponde à psicologia do desenvolvimento. Seguindo esta linha, Duveen levou a cabo a articulação entre ambas disciplinas e postulou que os indivíduos reconstroem ativamente as representações sociais ao se apropriarem delas. Desse modo, Valsiner tenta explicar este processo desde a perspectiva da psicologia cultural do desenvolvimento, entendendo as representações sociais como ferramentas culturais que desempenham uma função adaptativa acerca do futuro.A partir da análise dos argumentos dos três autores, concluímos que o estudo deste processo requer um trabalho interdisciplinar, sustentado em um marco epistêmico comum, caso contrário, se abordado a partir das disciplinas mencionadas de forma independente é inevitável cair em reducionismos.