Unpacking a female language teacher's identity transformations: a perspective of multiple I-positions.

The narrative inquiry investigates the construction and evolution of a female Chinese language teacher's identity across her pre-service and in-service phases. Utilising data from interviews, class observation and written reflections, the research examines how internal and external aspects shape her identity development. It specifically explores the role of third positions, meta positions, and promoter positions drawing on the dialogical self theory. The findings reaffirm that a teacher's identity is fluid and influenced by personal and professional factors. Over time, however, strong teaching beliefs and a growth mindset emerge as pivotal drivers for sustained and positive teacher development. The paper concludes by offering implications for pre-service teacher education and female teachers' continuing professional development.

Healthcare chaplains' conflicting and ambivalent positions regarding meaning in life and worldview.

Western society is increasingly a spiritual society, but not so much a society that draws on clearly delineated religious or worldview pillars anymore. Within healthcare, there's a growing attention to the spiritual dimension of health and the collaborative spiritual care that is needed for person-centered care. This changing religious/worldview and healthcare landscape is influencing healthcare chaplaincy. In this case study in-depth interviews were conducted with a chaplaincy team within a large healthcare organization in The Netherlands. Dialogical Self Theory was used as the theoretical framework in the narrative analysis of these stories. This provided insights into how these chaplains negotiate their professional identity within a changing healthcare landscape. It is concluded that there are multiple and often contradictory and conflicting positions within and between chaplains and that it is a challenge for healthcare chaplains to integrate the "old" and "new" representations of chaplaincy.

The Dialogical Self of Taoistic Dynamics: How scientists and practitioners can trigger the discovery of a harmonious self.

In the present paper, I relate the Dialogical Self Theory with the philosophy of Taoism. For that purpose, I instance the premises of Taoism such as that human being use open ideograms (signs and symbols) that grow constantly in their meaning, that the meaning of life can be only unraveled if the unity of opposites is integrated in one's worldview and that the human being listens to his natural intuition and does not force himself to do things (wuwei = effortless action which has its origins in Laozi's TaoTeChing). When those premises are applied to the Dialogical Self Theory, psychologists can help people to develop a harmonious self because the self is operationalized as an open system that is constantly in flux of meaning. Hidden I-positions might be shifted to the foreground while helping the human being to listen to a multitude of positions and to not act in a rigid fashion. In order for scientists and practitioners to use the insights of what I call the Dialogical Self of Taoistic Dynamics, I propose an open interview guide that could help people to realize their harmonious pluralistic self.

The Movement Between Agreement and Disagreement in Self Positions Through a Musico-Logical Metaphor.

In this article, I use a metaphorical concept in order to propose an interpretation for the dialogical relationship that occurs between I-positions in the human self. Metaphor is a useful tool for scientific production and its heuristic value has been demonstrated in several fields of knowledge. I claim a musico-logical metaphor to explain dynamic dialogic processes that occur when I-positions are in agreement or disagreement relationship. These dialogic processes are based on tension and release and, in a complementary way, can result in contradictory, tautological, or contingency relations between I-positions. These relations were categorized using concepts from Music and Logic, thus creating a theoretical model composed of metaphorical concepts. To provide evidence of how a musico-logical metaphor might contribute to the interpretation of relations between I-positions in the system of self, I discuss a case study of a rural worker and analyze how child labor marked his life trajectory throughout different moments. The musico-logical metaphor might contribute to dialogical processes understanding that occur at the border of the agreement-disagreement dyad in the system of the self, since this metaphor proposes to identify, from a cogenetic understanding, dialogic interactions between I-positions located in this border, thus transforming the agreement-disagreement dyad into a triadic agreement-border-non-agreement set.

Queer Theory and Dialogical Self Theory: Considerations on Human Development / Teoria Queer e Teoria do Self Dialógico: Considerações sobre Desenvolvimento Humano

ABSTRACT The present study presents an exercise in a dialogue between queer theory and Dialogical Self Theory (DST) as theoretical support for research on the impacts of the gender positioning of LGBTI+ subjects on the development of the self. Queer theory inspires dialogical psychology to include in its notion of self the radical sociability of the subject together with the individuality that it makes possible, in addition to pointing to the importance of the particularities of the development of subjects considered deviant. In recent studies, DST moves in this direction by proposing a metaphor of the self as a democratic society, considering the obstacles imposed by differences in the social context. This perspective offers tools for investigations into the microgenesis of subversion.

RESUMO Este trabalho apresenta um exercício de diálogo entre a Teoria Queer e a Teoria do Self Dialógico (TSD) como sustentação teórica para investigação sobre os impactos do posicionamento de gênero de sujeitos LGBTI+ no desenvolvimento do self. A Teoria Queer inspira a psicologia dialógica a incluir em sua noção de self a sociabilidade radical do sujeito juntamente com a individualidade que ela torna possível, além de apontar para a importância das particularidades do desenvolvimento de sujeitos considerados desviantes. Em trabalhos recentes, a TSD caminha nessa direção, ao propor uma metáfora do self como uma sociedade democrática, levando em conta os obstáculos impostos pelas diferenças no contexto social. Essa perspectiva oferece ferramentas para investigações sobre a microgênese da subversão.

I-position as a tool to advance the understanding of pastors and deacons who navigate contrasting identities as chaplains: a narrative analysis.

Chaplaincy services form a vital complement for secular societal institutions which must accommodate spiritual needs, including but not limited to, hospitals, armed forces, and prisons. Yet cultures within societal institutions and churches or faith organizations are fundamentally different. The purpose of this article is to present a conceptual, methodological and occupational discussion around Swedish pastors and deacons serving as specialised chaplains in societal contexts. A narrative analysis coupled with the concept of an I-position (from the framework of Dialogical Self Theory) are presented as a useful methodology for advancing the understanding of pastors and deacons who navigate culturally contrasting identities as chaplains. The article draws from two recent studies and illustrates the methodology through case study examples of both hospital and military chaplains. This approach may be relevant to any chaplain who traverses culturally contrasting terrain and may encounter identity change or challenge. Future research is recommended regarding gender aspects related to male/female dominated socital institutions and representatives from other faith traditions involved in chaplaincy services.

Chronic pain and masculine identity: life-world interviews with men at a South African Pain Clinic.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to investigate experiences of men who were living with chronic pain in relation to masculine identity and their experiences of treatment at a Chronic Pain Clinic in South Africa. METHODS: A purposive sample of 14 male patients from an outpatient Chronic Pain Clinic participated in the study in 2019. Qualitative inquiry followed a life-world dialogical interview approach. Respondent validation interviews further engaged participant perspectives. Team data analysis, thematic network diagrams and tabulations were used for analysis of the interview data. . RESULTS: The respondents described multiple challenges of the journey to chronic pain, living with chronic pain, experiences of treatment contexts, ways of coping and the experience of living with chronic pain in relation to masculinity. Three typologies were identified: (1) aligning with hegemonic ideals, (2) a yielding masculinity or (3) an adjusted masculine identity. The findings revealed how masculine identity was positioned by the perceptions of others, interpersonally and within the individual. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare practitioners and public health can be responsive to the gendered context of living with difficult and long-term pain conditions. Treatment should be supportive and inclusive..

Existential Humanistic Leadership (EHL) as a Dialogical Process: Equality of the Non-equality in Organizations.

The paper is a novel extension of the Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to organizational psychology. In organizations there are rich conflicts and ambiguous situations in which joint meaning making is indispensable for future trajectories of the follower, the leader and the organization itself. This negotiation process is influenced by power imbalances within the organization, mostly between leader and follower. In their multiple emerging fields and their interrelatedness these agents have to find a way of neutralizing the tension of highly ambiguous situations in order to account for the discovery of commonly adaptive, future trajectories. I introduce the concept of the Existential-Humanistic Leadership style (EHL) that through the emergence of existential I-positions and sign-manifolds neutralizes previous power imbalances. The Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA) of Tatsuya Sato is used for elaboration of the ongoing dialogical processes. The TEA-modelling shows that an existential-humanistic leader tries to unite opposite trajectories within one dynamically adaptive system through phenomenological/democratic attunement towards the follower and through the assessment of follower's needs for development. These two conditions of EHL make it more likely that a leader externalizes existential I-positions which create local sign-worlds where leader and follower meet as human beings in absence of prior role asymmetry. Central concepts of existential psychology, DST and cultural semiosis are combined in a microgenetic and phenomenological research design. Based on the partnership model of Valsiner, Bibace, & LaPushin, a co-constructive interview guide has been created, in which a scenario-completion task is established and worked through with the participant. The Trajectory Equifinality Model of a football trainer is used for generalization of the generic structure of an existential-humanistic leader-system being a crucial condition for leading in and through curvilinearity.

Majority of female bariatric patients retain an obese identity 18-30 months after surgery.

PURPOSE: When bariatric surgery is performed, a successful outcome is usually described as % total weight lost (EWL) or a change in BMI. These definitions fail to address the importance of post-operative psychosocial adjustment. Previous research has alluded to a 'mind-body lag' where the patient's experienced body feels larger than their physically smaller post-operative body, perhaps as a result of amygdalae conditioning. The purpose of this study is to further investigate this psychological issue and assess its relationship to health locus of control, alexithymia, health quality of life and weight regain in bariatric surgery patients. METHODS: Forty female bariatric surgery patients between 18 and 30 months post-op completed demographic data, survey instruments and anthropometric testing. Their evolving self-view, health locus of control, tendency toward alexithymic thought, and health quality of life were measured to identify significant relationships. Hermans' Dialogical Self Theory was used to understand the conflicted self-view of the participants. RESULTS: The majority of participants retained an obese view of self despite weight loss. Those who retained an 'I-obese' viewpoint were significantly more likely to see external situations and powerful others as controlling their weight, have difficulty identifying their feelings and score significantly lower in vitality, social functioning and mental health. CONCLUSION: Despite losing weight, the majority of participants retained an obese view of self that was significantly associated with a lessened health quality of life. Use of the Evolving Self-View (ESV) exploratory tool may allow early identification of post-operative patients with a prolonged 'I-obese' self-view and provide an opportunity for intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, cross-sectional case-control study.

Dialogical and Integrated Self in Late Adulthood: Examining Two Adaptive Ways of Growing Old.

We examined two contradictory views of Erikson's concept of ego integrity: as an outcome of the tension between integrity and despair, or as a dialogical process of balancing positive and negative life experiences. One hundred sixty-seven Czech older adults participated in the study. Dialogically integrated, outcome-integrated, and outcome-despairing participants were selected based on the Ego Integrity Scale and based on methods mapping life-reviewing dialogue. The three subsamples were compared in their psychological adaptation. The results showed that the dialogically integrated participants scored similarly in well-being and meaningfulness of life as outcome-integrated participants and better than outcome-despairing participants. However, the dialogically integrated participants were also prone to experiencing negative emotions. As they were older than the other two subsamples and reported worse physical health, we concluded that the life-reviewing dialogue helps them maintain a sense of meaning in life and a certain level of well-being. Hence, the results support relevance of the dialogical-process view.

"Constructive Urge for Self-Presentation-Mediating between the Past and the Future".

I further develop the dialogical self theory (DST) by elaborating on temporal dimensions, emphasizing the human need for self-presentation. The self is seen as the subjective center of a multicentered semiotic net, one that mediates between the past and future. A person is an operational entity that occasionally reconstructs him- or herself through the negotiation of internal and external "I-positions." The conceptual differentiation of a future time zone is proposed by means of elaborating on the zone of distant development (ZDD). The ZDD, along with the zone of proximal development (ZPD), constitutes the future. The ZDD is distanced from the ZPD by an undefined time gap, and the former constructs and involves space around, and even beyond, the semiotic horizon. Major aspirations projected to the ZDD provide a general sense to life in the present time. Future-directedness is revealed in the constructive urge for self-presentation. Humans want to matter and to leave a trace of themselves behind, especially in other people's lives. The strive for self-presentation is considered one of the most significant urges for people; it is expressed in taking care of others, spreading ideas, creating art, craftsmanship, and so forth. People desire to be signified in a surrounding semiotic system, even after death. So they insert their legacy-signs in the external environment, forming their representatives. The strive for self-presentation emanates from the bilateral nature of interaction between the self and one's surrounding environment. Also, this strive reveals another semiotic visible field of the indissoluble connection between personal and social identities. In essence, the urge for self-presentation drives procreative thinking and actions.

Evolving self view and body image concerns in female postoperative bariatric surgery patients.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the experience of postoperative bariatric surgery patients as they adjust to diminished weight and differentiate that adjustment from the more general concept of body image. BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is an effective way to reduce weight and comorbidities associated with obesity. Complete success requires that patients must adjust psychologically as they lose weight. If this does not occur, bariatric patients may experience a "mind-body lag," in which the patient's internal body image lags behind the external changes. Hermans' Dialogical Self Theory of "I-positions" is a foundation with which to understand this problem. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational study of postoperative bariatric patients explored the concept of "I-obese" and "I-ex-obese" in an effort to quantify previous qualitative findings and develop a survey questionnaire. METHODS: Bariatric patients (N = 55) between 18-30 months postoperative completed one-hour interviews. Cluster analysis and chi-squared analysis compared mean scores and explored the prevalence of "I-positions" and body image concerns in the participants. RESULTS: Cluster analysis of the survey data identified participants as falling into either "I-obese," "I-ex-obese" or "mixed I-obese" categories. There were significantly higher body image concerns in the "I-obese" participants than those identified as "I-ex-obese." The majority of female participants reported high body image concerns. There was no significant association with weight loss percentage. CONCLUSION: This research establishes a connection in this study sample of women who experience body image concerns and prolonged "I-obese" identification 18-30 months after their bariatric surgery. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To date, the primary measure of bariatric surgery success has focused almost exclusively on the amount of weight loss. Implementing psychological as well as physiological care, however, may be the key to full recovery and long-term success. Practitioners can use this new information to plan effective pre- and postoperative psychological preparation and support.

Making dialogue with an existential voice in transition from military to civilian life.

Dialogical Self Theory has contributed to the endeavors to map and grid self-identity work in transition from military to civilian life throughout an empirical and longitudinal research project which focuses on existential dimensions. This article is based on a case study from this project and centers upon Sergeant Jonas, who, upon his return from deployment in Afghanistan, struggled with his transition as a new existential position was vocalized throughout the following annual interviews. This voice narrated feelings of meaninglessness, emptiness, and of having been deceived. In turn, this existential voice required an answer to a question which apparently had no answer. The meaning-making eventually evolved into an acceptance which enabled Jonas to proceed with his life. Dialogical processes between positions are important in order to go on with life amid existential concerns in the aftermath of military service since dialogicality of the self opens up a complex of dynamics of meaning-making processes, negotiations, and transformations. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the Personal Position Repertoire could potentially be strengthened by the addition of an internal existential position to its standard repertoire, at least when working with military personnel and/or veterans.

Fields of Tension in a Boundary-Crossing World: Towards a Democratic Organization of the Self.

In their study of the relationship between self and society, scientists have proposed taking society as a metaphor for understanding the dynamics of the self, such as the analogy between the self and the functioning of a totalitarian state or the analogy between the self and the functioning of a bureaucratic organization. In addition to these models, the present article proposes a democratic society as a metaphor for understanding the workings of a dialogical self in a globalizing, boundary-crossing world. The article follows four steps. In the first step the self is depicted as extended to the social and societal environment and made up of fields of tension in which a multiplicity of self-positions are involved in processes of positioning and counter-positioning and in relationships of social power. In the second step, the fertility of the democratic metaphor is demonstrated by referring to theory and research from three identity perspectives: multicultural, multiracial, and transgender. In the fields of tension emerging between the multiplicity of self-positions, new, hybrid, and mixed identities have a chance to emerge as adaptive responses to the limitations of existing societal structures. In the third step, we place the democratic self in a broader societal context by linking three levels of inclusiveness, proposed by Self-Categorization Theory (personal, social, and human) to recent conceptions of a cosmopolitan democracy. In the fourth and final step, a model is presented which allows the formulation of a series of specific research questions for future studies of a democratically organized self.

No one sees the fathers: Israeli fathers' experience of feticide.

RATIONALE: Feticide, a relatively recent development in medical technology, is the practice of late-stage pregnancy termination. The practice of feticide and the individuals who are closely exposed to it - particularly the fathers- have been under-researched. OBJECTIVE: The current research aims to fill this lacuna, examining the experience of Israeli fathers whose fetuses underwent feticide. Israeli policy concerning late-stage termination of pregnancy is unique but corresponds with Israeli social norms that emphasize health in general and healthy children in particular. METHODS: Seventeen interviews with men who experienced the feticide of their fetuses were carried out. Interviews were analyzed using the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology as outlined by Ricoeur. RESULTS: The results indicate that men's experiences in this arena are socially constructed and limited by gender roles and expectations. The revealed themes address: (a) the lack of a socially constructed terminology; (b) the unclear definition of the feticide experience; (c) men's sense of obligation to protect themselves and others from the procedure and its ramifications, and (d) the policies and regulations used to exclude men from the feticide experience, and the strategies they use to exclude themselves. The results further revealed that while narrating their experiences, men re-examined their behaviors, raising retrospectively counterfactual thoughts about what should have been done differently. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the interface between a personal experience and a social phenomenon. In conceptualizing the men's two opposing positions - one that embraces social expectations, as evident in the revealed themes; the other that questions fathers' conformity, as evident through their counterfactual thoughts -Dialogical Self Theory was useful.

A mediação semiótica da "responsabilidade": um estudo sobre a construção de valores na transição para a vida adulta / Semiotics mediation of "responsibility": a study on the construction of values in the transition to adulthood / La médiation sémiotique de la "responsabilité": une étude sur la construction de valeurs dans la transition vers la vie adulte / La mediación semiótica de "responsabilidad": estudio sobre la construcción de valores en la transición para la vida adulta

Resumo: A construção de valores é vista como um processo intensamente dinâmico envolvendo internalização e externalização de significados coletivos, além de ser fundamental para a construção de uma síntese pessoal. O presente artigo parte da Psicologia Cultural e da Teoria do Self-Dialógico e propõe que a "responsabilidade" pode ser entendida como um valor, como um campo afetivo semiótico carregado de sentidos. Um estudo de caso ilustra como uma jovem (Jane) navega na cultura coletiva e constrói um novo significado pessoal de si mesma como uma "pessoa responsável". O valor da "responsabilidade" vai sendo integrado ao sistema pessoal de valores da jovem através de continuidades e mudanças nos seus posicionamentos ao longo do tempo e em diferentes espaços, especificamente a família, o trabalho e a religião. Os resultados mostram a dinâmica dos posicionamentos e o surgimento de novas perspectivas para o futuro.

Abstract: The construction of values is seen as an intensely dynamic process involving the internalization and externalization of collective meanings, as well as being fundamental to the construction of a personal synthesis. This article starts from the perspectives of Cultural Psychology and Dialogic Self Theory and proposes that "responsibility" can be understood as a value, as a semiotic affective field full of senses. A case study illustrates how a young woman (Jane) navigates on the collective culture and builds a new personal meaning itself as a "responsible person". The value of "responsibility" becomes progressively integrated into her personal values system through continuities and changes in her positions over time and in different spaces, specifically the family, work and religion. The results illustrate the dynamic transformation of positions over time and the emergence of new perspectives for the future.

Résumé: La construction de valeurs est considérée comme un processus intensément dynamique impliquant internalisation et externalisation des significations collectives, et est fondamental pour la construction d'une synthèse personnelle. Dés le point de vue de la Psychologie Culturelle et de la Théorie du Soit Dialogique, la "responsabilité" peut être comprise comme une valeur, comme domaine affective sémiotique chargé de sens. Cette étude de cas illustre comment un jeune fille (Jane) circule dans la culture collective et construit une nouvelle signification personnelle d'elle-même comme une "personne responsable". La valeur de la "responsabilité" devient progressivement intégré dans le système de valeurs de Jane à cause des changements dans ses positions au fil du temps et dans divers situations de vie, en particulier la famille, le travail et la religion. Les résultats illustrent la transformation dynamique des positions et l'émergence de nouvelles perspectives pour l'avenir.

Resumen: La construcción de valores es un proceso intensamente dinámico, involucrando internalización y externalización de significados colectivos, y fundamental para la construcción de una síntesis personal. Desde el punto de vista de la Psicología Cultural y de la teoría del Self Dialógico, este artículo se propone a pensar si la "responsabilidad" puede ser entendida como un valor, como un campo afectivo semiótico pleno de sentidos. Un estudio de caso ilustra cómo una joven (Jane) navega en la cultura colectiva y construye un nuevo significado personal de sí misma como una "persona responsable". El valor de la "responsabilidad" se integra progresivamente en el sistema de valores personales de Jane, mientras continuidades y cambios en sus posiciones en el tiempo y en diferentes situaciones, especialmente la familia, el trabajo y la religión. Los resultados ilustran la transformación dinámica de las posiciones y el surgimiento de nuevas perspectivas para el futuro.

A mediação semiótica da "responsabilidade": um estudo sobre a construção de valores na transição para a vida adulta / Semiotics mediation of "responsibility": a study on the construction of values in the transition to adulthood / La médiation sémiotique de la "responsabilité": une étude sur la construction de valeurs dans la transition vers la vie adulte / La mediación semiótica de "responsabilidad": estudio sobre la construcción de valores en la transición para la vida adulta

A construção de valores é vista como um processo intensamente dinâmico envolvendo internalização e externalização de significados coletivos, além de ser fundamental para a construção de uma síntese pessoal. O presente artigo parte da Psicologia Cultural e da Teoria do Self-Dialógico e propõe que a "responsabilidade" pode ser entendida como um valor, como um campo afetivo semiótico carregado de sentidos. Um estudo de caso ilustra como uma jovem (Jane) navega na cultura coletiva e constrói um novo significado pessoal de si mesma como uma "pessoa responsável". O valor da "responsabilidade" vai sendo integrado ao sistema pessoal de valores da jovem através de continuidades e mudanças nos seus posicionamentos ao longo do tempo e em diferentes espaços, especificamente a família, o trabalho e a religião. Os resultados mostram a dinâmica dos posicionamentos e o surgimento de novas perspectivas para o futuro.(AU)

The construction of values is seen as an intensely dynamic process involving the internalization and externalization of collective meanings, as well as being fundamental to the construction of a personal synthesis. This article starts from the perspectives of Cultural Psychology and Dialogic Self Theory and proposes that "responsibility" can be understood as a value, as a semiotic affective field full of senses. A case study illustrates how a young woman (Jane) navigates on the collective culture and builds a new personal meaning itself as a "responsible person". The value of "responsibility" becomes progressively integrated into her personal values system through continuities and changes in her positions over time and in different spaces, specifically the family, work and religion. The results illustrate the dynamic transformation of positions over time and the emergence of new perspectives for the future.(AU)

La construction de valeurs est considérée comme un processus intensément dynamique impliquant internalisation et externalisation des significations collectives, et est fondamental pour la construction d'une synthèse personnelle. Dés le point de vue de la Psychologie Culturelle et de la Théorie du Soit Dialogique, la "responsabilité" peut être comprise comme une valeur, comme domaine affective sémiotique chargé de sens. Cette étude de cas illustre comment un jeune fille (Jane) circule dans la culture collective et construit une nouvelle signification personnelle d'elle-même comme une "personne responsable". La valeur de la "responsabilité" devient progressivement intégré dans le système de valeurs de Jane à cause des changements dans ses positions au fil du temps et dans divers situations de vie, en particulier la famille, le travail et la religion. Les résultats illustrent la transformation dynamique des positions et l'émergence de nouvelles perspectives pour l'avenir.(AU)

La construcción de valores es un proceso intensamente dinámico, involucrando internalización y externalización de significados colectivos, y fundamental para la construcción de una síntesis personal. Desde el punto de vista de la Psicología Cultural y de la teoría del Self Dialógico, este artículo se propone a pensar si la "responsabilidad" puede ser entendida como un valor, como un campo afectivo semiótico pleno de sentidos. Un estudio de caso ilustra cómo una joven (Jane) navega en la cultura colectiva y construye un nuevo significado personal de sí misma como una "persona responsable". El valor de la "responsabilidad" se integra progresivamente en el sistema de valores personales de Jane, mientras continuidades y cambios en sus posiciones en el tiempo y en diferentes situaciones, especialmente la familia, el trabajo y la religión. Los resultados ilustran la transformación dinámica de las posiciones y el surgimiento de nuevas perspectivas para el futuro.(AU)

Desenvolvimento do Self Dialógico nos Primeiros Anos de Vida: Teoria e Pesquisas / Dialogical Self Development in Early Life: Theory and Research

RESUMO O presente artigo discute algumas das pesquisas recentes sobre o desenvolvimento do Self dialógico nos primeiros anos de vida. Revisamos os estudos publicados que tinham como fundamento teórico a emergência do Self. Identificamos que existe um rápido crescimento de pesquisas com bebês, contudo, pesquisas em fases iniciais de alfabetização são praticamente ausentes, a lacuna mais significativa se estende dos 4 aos 6 anos. Encontramos, ainda, que o modelo adulto da Teoria do Self Dialógico tenta ser adaptado para crianças, mas esse modelo precisa de transformações para dar conta dos processos de desenvolvimento do Self. Concluímos que, para a realização de pesquisas com crianças, seja incluída a análise microgenética de interações sociais das crianças em contextos específicos, com vistas ao estudo da emergência de seus processos de desenvolvimento.

ABSTRACT This article discusses some recent studies on the development of the dialogical self during the first years of life. We reviewed published studies that had the emergence of self as a theoretical basis. We identified an increasing number of studies with babies. However, studies realized during the early stages of literacy are absent, and the most significant gap extends from 4- to-6-year-old children. We found that there are attempts to adapt the adult model of the Dialogical Self Theory for children, but this model needs to change to account for processes of the development of self. We conclude by arguing that there is a need for microgenetic analysis of children's social interactions within specific contexts, in order to study the emergence of their development processes.