After the dialogical self, what?
Keywords:
self; dialogic self; social relations; status; power; reference groups
Abstract
The idea of the dialogical self is a large step forward in linking the self to the social environment which forms it and provides its content. However, using an empirically-based, widely-known model of social relations, I propose that the concept of the self may be an extraneous item in the toolbox of dialogical-self theorists and practitioners. Rather, since the self is created by the social milieu, it may make sense to work with that milieu directly rather than with its product. This proposal has particular import for psychotherapy and I address some specifics of this claim to therapists.
References
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Blader, S. L., & Chen, Y. (2012). Differentiating the effects of status and power: A justice perspective. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 102, 994-1014.
Brown, J. (1997). Circular questioning: An introductory guide. A. N. Z. J. Family Therapy, 18, 109-114.
Carter, L. F. (1954). Evaluating the performance of individuals as members of small groups. Personnel Psychology, 7, 477-484.
Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human nature and social order. New York: Scribners.
Evans, D. (2005). From Lacan to Darwin. In J. Gottdshall, & D. S. Wilson (Eds.), The literary animal: Evolution and the nature of narrative (pp. 38-55). Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
Fournier, M., Moscowitz, D. S., & Zuroff, D. C. (2009). The interpersonal signature. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 155-62.
Freud, S. (1962 [1923]). The ego and the id. (J. Riviere, Trans.). London: Hogarth Press.
Giles, J. (1993). The no-self theory: Hume, Bhuddism and personal identity. Philosophy East and West, 43, 175-200.
Greenson, R. R. (1967). The technique and practice of psychoanalysis (vol. 1). New York, NY: International Universities Press.
Gurtman, M. B. (2009). Exploring personality with the interpersonal circumplex. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 1-19.
Halevi, N., Chou, E. Y., Cohen, T. R., & Livingston, R. W. (2012). Status conferral in intergroup social dilemmas: Behavioral consequences of Prestige and Dominance. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 102, 361-366.
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Hermans, H. J. M. (2001). The dialogical self: Toward a theory of personal and cultural positioning. Culture and Psychology, 7, 243-281.
Hermans, H. J. M., & Hermans-Konopka, A. (2010). Dialogical self theory: Positioning and counter-positioning in a globalizing society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
James, W. (1890). Principles of psychology. New York, NY: Henry Holt.
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Kemper, T. D. (2011). Status, power and ritual interaction: A relational reading of Durkheim, Goffman and Collins. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.
Kemper, T. D., & Collins, R. (1990). Dimensions of microaction. American Journal of Sociology, 96, 32-68.
Liotti, G., & Gilbert, P. (2011). Mentalizing, motivation, and social mentalities: Theoretical considerations and implications for psychotherapy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 84, 9-25.
Lizardo, O., & Strand, M. (2010). Skills, toolkits, contexts and institutions: Clarifying the relationship between different approaches to cognition in cultural sociology. Poetics, 38, 204-227.
Lysaker, P. H., & Lysaker, J. T. (2008). Schizophrenia and the fate of the self. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Social hierarchy: The self-reinforcing nature of power and status. The Academy of Management Annals, 2, 351-398.
Martin, J., Sugarman, J., & Thompson, J. (2003). Psychology and the question of agency. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
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Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self and society. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77, 23-50.
Oleś, P., & Hermans, H. J. M. (2008). The dialogical self: Between exchange and dominance. International Journal of Psychology, 43, 16.
Puchalska-Wasyl, M., Chmielnicka-Kuter, E., & Oleś, P. (2008). From internal interlocutors to psychological functions of dialogical activity. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 21, 239-269.
Scharff, J. S., & Scharff, D. W. (1997). Object relations couples therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 51, 141-173.
Salgado, J., & Hermans, H. J. M. (2005). The return of subjectivity: From a multiplicity of selves to the dialogical self. E-Journal of Applied Psychology: Clinical Section, 1, 3-13.
Soussignan, R., & Schaal, B. (2005). Emotional processes in human newborns: A functionalist perspective. In J. Nadel, & D. Muir (Eds.), Emotional development: Recent research advances (pp. 127-159). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stuart, S. (2006). Interpersonal psychotherapy. Psychiatric Annals, 36, 526-529.
Swidler, A. (1986). Culture in action: Symbols and strategies. American Sociological Review, 52, 273-286.
Thye, S. R., Willer, D., & Markovsky, B. (2008). From status to power: New models at the intersection of two theories. Social Forces, 84, 1471-1495.
Tronick, E. (2005). Why is connection with others so critical? In J. Nadel, & D. Muir (Eds.), Emotional development: Recent research advances (pp. 293-315). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. 1992. Cumulative prospect theory: An analysis of decision under uncertainty. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 5, 297-323.
White, G. (1980). Conceptual universals in interpersonal language. American Anthropologist, 82, 759-781.
Yeung, K., & Martin, J. L. (2003). The looking-glass self: An empirical test and elaboration. Social Forces, 81, 843-881.
Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogical imagination. (M. Holquist, Ed.; C. Emerson, & M. Holquist, Trans.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Bakhtin, M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevski’s Poetics. (C. Emerson, Trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Presss.
Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 1-44.
Blader, S. L., & Chen, Y. (2012). Differentiating the effects of status and power: A justice perspective. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 102, 994-1014.
Brown, J. (1997). Circular questioning: An introductory guide. A. N. Z. J. Family Therapy, 18, 109-114.
Carter, L. F. (1954). Evaluating the performance of individuals as members of small groups. Personnel Psychology, 7, 477-484.
Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human nature and social order. New York: Scribners.
Evans, D. (2005). From Lacan to Darwin. In J. Gottdshall, & D. S. Wilson (Eds.), The literary animal: Evolution and the nature of narrative (pp. 38-55). Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
Fournier, M., Moscowitz, D. S., & Zuroff, D. C. (2009). The interpersonal signature. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 155-62.
Freud, S. (1962 [1923]). The ego and the id. (J. Riviere, Trans.). London: Hogarth Press.
Giles, J. (1993). The no-self theory: Hume, Bhuddism and personal identity. Philosophy East and West, 43, 175-200.
Greenson, R. R. (1967). The technique and practice of psychoanalysis (vol. 1). New York, NY: International Universities Press.
Gurtman, M. B. (2009). Exploring personality with the interpersonal circumplex. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 1-19.
Halevi, N., Chou, E. Y., Cohen, T. R., & Livingston, R. W. (2012). Status conferral in intergroup social dilemmas: Behavioral consequences of Prestige and Dominance. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 102, 361-366.
Harvey, P. (1995). The self-less mind. Richmond, UK: Curzon Press.
Henrick, J. (1980). The psychotherapy handbook: The A-Z guide to more than 250 psychotherapies as used today. New York: New American Library.
Hermans, H. J. M. (1996). Voicing the self: From information processing to dialogical interchange. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 31-50.
Hermans, H. J. M. (2001). The dialogical self: Toward a theory of personal and cultural positioning. Culture and Psychology, 7, 243-281.
Hermans, H. J. M., & Hermans-Konopka, A. (2010). Dialogical self theory: Positioning and counter-positioning in a globalizing society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
James, W. (1890). Principles of psychology. New York, NY: Henry Holt.
Kemper, T. D. (2006). Power and status and the power-status theory of emotions. In J. E. Stets, & J. H. Turner (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of emotions (pp. 87-113). New York, NY: Springer.
Kemper, T. D. (2011). Status, power and ritual interaction: A relational reading of Durkheim, Goffman and Collins. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.
Kemper, T. D., & Collins, R. (1990). Dimensions of microaction. American Journal of Sociology, 96, 32-68.
Liotti, G., & Gilbert, P. (2011). Mentalizing, motivation, and social mentalities: Theoretical considerations and implications for psychotherapy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 84, 9-25.
Lizardo, O., & Strand, M. (2010). Skills, toolkits, contexts and institutions: Clarifying the relationship between different approaches to cognition in cultural sociology. Poetics, 38, 204-227.
Lysaker, P. H., & Lysaker, J. T. (2008). Schizophrenia and the fate of the self. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Social hierarchy: The self-reinforcing nature of power and status. The Academy of Management Annals, 2, 351-398.
Martin, J., Sugarman, J., & Thompson, J. (2003). Psychology and the question of agency. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Mead, G. H. (1964 [1913]). The social self. In A. J. Reck (Ed.), Selected writings of George Herbert Mead (pp. 142-149). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self and society. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77, 23-50.
Oleś, P., & Hermans, H. J. M. (2008). The dialogical self: Between exchange and dominance. International Journal of Psychology, 43, 16.
Puchalska-Wasyl, M., Chmielnicka-Kuter, E., & Oleś, P. (2008). From internal interlocutors to psychological functions of dialogical activity. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 21, 239-269.
Scharff, J. S., & Scharff, D. W. (1997). Object relations couples therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 51, 141-173.
Salgado, J., & Hermans, H. J. M. (2005). The return of subjectivity: From a multiplicity of selves to the dialogical self. E-Journal of Applied Psychology: Clinical Section, 1, 3-13.
Soussignan, R., & Schaal, B. (2005). Emotional processes in human newborns: A functionalist perspective. In J. Nadel, & D. Muir (Eds.), Emotional development: Recent research advances (pp. 127-159). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stuart, S. (2006). Interpersonal psychotherapy. Psychiatric Annals, 36, 526-529.
Swidler, A. (1986). Culture in action: Symbols and strategies. American Sociological Review, 52, 273-286.
Thye, S. R., Willer, D., & Markovsky, B. (2008). From status to power: New models at the intersection of two theories. Social Forces, 84, 1471-1495.
Tronick, E. (2005). Why is connection with others so critical? In J. Nadel, & D. Muir (Eds.), Emotional development: Recent research advances (pp. 293-315). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. 1992. Cumulative prospect theory: An analysis of decision under uncertainty. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 5, 297-323.
White, G. (1980). Conceptual universals in interpersonal language. American Anthropologist, 82, 759-781.
Yeung, K., & Martin, J. L. (2003). The looking-glass self: An empirical test and elaboration. Social Forces, 81, 843-881.
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