Borders, Tensegrity and Development in Dialogue.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Dialogical Self Theory (DST) has evolved, with recent models using a "democratic society of the Self" metaphor.
• Contemporary Western societies present border-crossing challenges requiring new theoretical adaptations.
• Existing DST models may lack a sufficiently dynamic and developmental perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop Dialogical Self Theory by integrating new concepts.
• To introduce a stronger developmental and dynamic perspective into DST.
• To reframe the conceptualization of the Self from equilibrium to dynamic tension.

Main Methods:

• Elaboration of the notions of borders, cogenetic logic, and tensegrity over five years.
• Discussion of recent advancements in DST models, particularly Hermans et al.'s work.
• Conceptualization of the Self as a dynamic semiotic system in constant evolutive tension.

Main Results:

• Introduction of 'borders,' 'cogenetic logic,' and 'tensegrity' as key concepts.
• Conceptualization of the Self as a dynamic semiotic system in constant evolutive tension.
• Proposal to replace 'stability and continuity' with 'tensional integrity' for the Self.

Conclusions:

• The proposed developments offer a more robust developmental and dynamic perspective for Dialogical Self Theory.
• The concept of 'tensional integrity' provides a more fruitful framework than stability and continuity.
• This enhanced DST framework better addresses the challenges of border-crossing processes in contemporary societies.