IJDS 2.1 Bertau & Gonçalves

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume 2 Number 1 Fall 2007

Looking at “Meaning As Movement” in Development:
Introductory Reflections on the Developmental Origins
of the Dialogical Self
Marie-Cécile Bertau
University of Munich, Germany
Miguel Gonçalves
University of Minho, Portugal
pp. 1-13

ABSTRACT. Introducing the articles of the second issue of the IJDS, this article first sketches the notion of the Dialogical Self (DS) and then turns to the challenging question of conceiving and investigating DS regarding its developmental origins, be it ontogenetically in observing caregiver-infant exchanges or microgenetically in studies tracing actual changes in the dynamic “landscape of the self”. A second, more implicit challenge is identified at the level of the basic concepts: dialogicality and dialogues, insofar as these have to be thought of in regard to development. Dialogicality turns out to be central, and as working definition the authors propose to see dialogicality as a potency, meaning an expectation of the other's addressivity to oneself. The relationships between dialogicality and language are briefly explored: given dialogicality as potency, language is a complex, semioticized form of realized dialogicality.

Keywords: dialogue, dialogicality, dialogical self, language

Looking at “Meaning As Movement” in Development: Introductory Reflections on the Developmental Origins of the Dialogical Self Marie-Cécile Bertau University of Munich, Germany Miguel Gonçalves University of Minho, Portugal	pp. 1-13

ABSTRACT. Introducing the articles of the second issue of the IJDS, this article first sketches the notion of the Dialogical Self (DS) and then turns to the challenging question of conceiving and investigating DS regarding its developmental origins, be it ontogenetically in observing caregiver-infant exchanges or microgenetically in studies tracing actual changes in the dynamic “landscape of the self”. A second, more implicit challenge is identified at the level of the basic concepts: dialogicality and dialogues, insofar as these have to be thought of in regard to development. Dialogicality turns out to be central, and as working definition the authors propose to see dialogicality as a potency, meaning an expectation of the other's addressivity to oneself. The relationships between dialogicality and language are briefly explored: given dialogicality as potency, language is a complex, semioticized form of realized dialogicality.

Keywords: dialogue, dialogicality, dialogical self, language