The embedding of the self in early interaction

Abstract

Presupposed in the earliest discourses we experience are implicit concepts concerning the nature of the self and identity. This paper examines the idea that through exposure to, and participation in, talk, the young infant is provided with appropriate discourses regarding what constitutes self and identity. Arguably, engaging in conversation entails entering into the coconstruction of participant stories, folk-beliefs and everyday narratives concerning the nature and status of the self. The young child learns that he/she is required to display different versions of him/herself depending on the nature of the context. This study of the development of the discursive self begins by examining the discourse genres of the self made available to the child, that is, versions of the self presupposed in the caregivers' talk. Employing conversation analytic methods, a micro-analysis of the talk of a parent -child dyad forms the basis of the study. The infant and parent (father) were video-taped during mealtimes from when the infant was 18 months to 28 months old. The nature of the discourses informing ideas of the developing self are highlighted through considering examples in the parent's talk throughout this period. The findings are discussed in light of contemporary theories of the self in developmental psychology.

The Interprocessual-Self Theory in Support of Human Neuroscience Studies

“…For some authors, self-knowledge allows for consolidation of personal identity; it involves not only cognitive capacities (a personal component) but also other components (especially social ones). In turn, self-knowledge is processed by the former component, which mediates the latter; here the loop emerges, feeding back into the consolidation of identity (Harter et al, 1999;Forrester, 2001). In fact, self-knowledge is considered a result of the internalization or incorporation of perspectives that other individuals hold about us in our self-concept, as well as others' behavioral patterns (Harter and Leahy, 2018).…”

Mother-Child Communication: Cultural Differences

“…By coordinating the mother's intentions with the child's needs and intentions, and interpreting and evaluating the infant's behaviors, both verbally and nonverbally, cultural meaning is dialogically constructed in that mother and infant tacitly negotiate 'contracts' (Hundeide, 1993) of what is acceptable and permissible. A case study on caregiver-infant interactions when the infant was 18-28 months old (Forrester, 2001), for example, could show that the child began to understand and locate herself in the membership categories provided and deemed appropriate within the specific cultural context's and provides insight on how the caregivers' discursive practices facilitated or constrained her emerging conception of what it is to be a self. Infant's awareness of reality and learning of culture is hence built through communication with the motives and emotions of other persons (Trevarthen, 1998; see Self in Culture: Early Development).…”

Competency and Participation in Acquiring a Mastery of Language: A Reconsideration of the Idea of Membership

“…The recordings began when the child was 12 months old, took place once a month, continued until 41 months, and for the most part took place during mealtimes (the child always sitting in a high‐chair in view of the camera with other people nearby). The study is part of a longitudinal analysis of this child's emerging conversational skills, including turn‐taking, topic introduction and interruption (see Forrester, 2001), building on similar research in developmental pragmatics (Wootton, 1997; Tarplee, 1996; Corrin, 2002). For present purposes, our discussion focuses on four extracts recorded on three separate occasions.…”