The construction and reconstruction of a dialogical self

Abstract

Many contemporary conceptions of the self are, often unwittingly, based on Cartesian notions of the mind as individualized, ahistorical, noncultural, disembodied, and centralized. In opposition to these assumptions, the dialogical self is conceived of as socialized, historical, cultural, embodied, and decentralized. Based on these theoretical considerations, a method is sketched for the assessment and change of the organization of the Personal Position Repertoire (PPR). Finally, therapeutic material is discussed around three topics: the innovation of the self, the creation of a dialogical space, and the development of a metaposition.