Dialogical Self Development in Early Life:
Theory and Research
Keywords:
Dialogical Self Theory, Development, EmergenceAbstract
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.
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