Elsa De Mattos

Abstract This article documents the case studies of two Brazilian children aged 10 and 11, for whom drawing is a symbolic tool of self-meaning. Semi-structured interviews were methodologically carried out from drawings they had created previous to and during the interview. Using semiotic cultural psychology as a reference, the concept of Self-imaging is put forward as an alternative to the self-image construct, highlighting the active role of the subject in the construction of his/her life trajectory. Results suggest that the transition process to adolescence represents a challenge in which young people recreate images of themselves by projecting new possibilities of action in the world through their imagination.

ABSTRACT Young people's transition to adulthood is one of the most critical moments in the life course, when several psychosocial transformations simultaneously pervade the relationship of the person and their cultural context. As young people develop, they start to navigate new spheres of experience that can bring significant ruptures to their sense of self-continuity (Zittoun 2011, 2012a). For instance, a sense of self-discontinuity can emerge when young people enter the world of work and start to question what they are able to do (their knowledge and skills), their position in relation to others in the new contexts as well as their identity and the meaning of their actions. The notion of youth transitions that we are going to elaborate here comes from ideas developed in the field of cultural psychology (Valsiner 1997, 2007; Zittoun 2006a, b, 2007, 2012a) and Dialogical Self Theory (Hermans 2001; Hermans and Kempen 1995; Hermans and Hermans-Jensen 2003; Hermans and Hermans-Konopka 2010). The aim is to go beyond traditional approaches to the phenomenon of "transition" as a linear sequence of events organizing individual pathways. These approaches usually emphasize young people's movements between institutions and formal settings (i.e., from school to work, or from university to the labor market) or from one social role to another (i.e., adolescent-adult, student-worker). However, in-stead of privileging an outcome view of transitions, in this chapter we will advance a more systemic and dialogical perspective of youth transitions, focusing on transition processes (instead of outcomes) and on the occurrence of simultaneous ruptures in a young person's life (Camarano 2006; Sato 2006; Zittoun 2012a). We will also stress the centrality of semiotic mediation and the relevance of adopting a new perspective of causality (i.e., catalytic causality) in psychology in order to understand human transition experiences, and the different ways in which individuals configure their

The notion of ‘responsibility’ refers to one of the fundamental aspects that one must develop to be considered as a virtuous person. ‘Responsibility’ has been usually regarded as a personal trait or an individual competence, however, from a cultural psychological perspective it can be conceived as an affective semiotic field that operates as a value orientation of human actions. The construction of values is an intensely dynamic process, involving internalization and externalization of collective meanings, and is central to what we refer to as personal culture. In this study, we depart from the perspectives of the cultural psychology and dialogical self theory, and explore how a young woman navigates into collective culture and constructs a new personal meaning of herself as a “responsible person”. We investigate how the value of ‘responsibility’ becomes progressively integrated into her personal system of values. We focus on the trajectory of Jane, exploring continuity and change i...

espanolEl presente articulo documenta dos estudios de caso de ninos entre 10 y 11 anos de Brasil, para quienes el dibujo se constituye como una herramienta simbolica de significacion de si. Metodologicamente, se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas a partir de dibujos realizados previamente y en el transcurso de la entrevista. Tomando como referencia la Psicologia Cultural Semiotica se propone el concepto de imaginando-se como una alternativa al constructo de autoimagen que destaca el papel activo del sujeto en la construccion de su trayectoria de vida. Los resultados sugieren que el proceso de transicion hacia la adolescencia representa un desafio ante el cual los jovenes re-crean imagenes de si mismos proyectando nuevas posibilidades de actuacion en el mundo por medio de la imaginacion. EnglishThis article documents the case studies of two Brazilian children aged 10 and 11, for whom drawing is a symbolic tool of self-meaning. Semi-structured interviews were methodologically c...

This study aims to analyze the process of semiotic regulation in youth transition to adulthood from the perspectives of cultural developmental psychology and dialogical self theory . The focus is on the transformations that occur in youth’s self-system configurations during a critical developmental period when they start to participate in the world of work. In this paper, we will advance the idea that semiotic regulation may lead to the construction of a future-oriented time perspective – and more specifically, to a new sense of becoming “professional” – through a cycle of production of innovation, leading to the construction of intransitive hierarchies of meaning and creating more flexibility in the self-system. We present a longitudinal case study of three young people who participated in a social project in Salvador, Bahia to illustrate the process. Data was collected through two rounds of in-depth interviews at ages18 (1 st round) and 21 (2 nd round) years. Analysis followed a m...

After the narrative turn in the social sciences, the concept of self came to be defined as narratively constructed. Among the theoretical perspectives based on this assumption, Dialogical Self Theory, as proposed by Hermans and collaborators, emphasizes relational and decentralized aspects of the self. Inspired by M. Bakhtin’s ideas of the polyphonic novel and by W. James’s distinction between self as knower and self as known, Hermans conceptualizes self as a multiplicity of relatively autonomous I-positions with stories to tell about their singular experiences, from their own respective points of view. The dialogical self is conceived as social in the sense that voices from other people occupy positions in the multivocal self. The emergent totality is a narratively structured self, within which power relations of dominance and subordination are established. Herman’s notion of dialogical self has been criticized, especially regarding difficulties in describing the movement of self d...

Resumo: A construção de valores é vista como um processo intensamente dinâmico envolvendo internalização e externalização de significados coletivos, além de ser fundamental para a construção de uma síntese pessoal. O presente artigo parte da Psicologia Cultural e da Teoria do Self-Dialógico e propõe que a "responsabilidade" pode ser entendida como um valor, como um campo afetivo semiótico carregado de sentidos. Um estudo de caso ilustra como uma jovem (Jane) navega na cultura coletiva e constrói um novo significado pessoal de si mesma como uma "pessoa responsável". O valor da "responsabilidade" vai sendo integrado ao sistema pessoal de valores da jovem através de continuidades e mudanças nos seus posicionamentos ao longo do tempo e em diferentes espaços, especificamente a família, o trabalho e a religião. Os resultados mostram a dinâmica dos posicionamentos e o surgimento de novas perspectivas para o futuro.

Atualmente, a interface entre a Psicologia e o Direito vem se expandindo e diversas formas de atuação dos psicólogos vêm ganhando força no âmbito da Justiça, fazendo com que haja uma ampliação seu campo de atuação. Além da avaliação psicológica, emergem intervenções utilizados para compreender melhor a subjetividade em seu contexto.

The notion of ‘responsibility’ refers to one of the fundamental aspects that one must develop to be considered as a virtuous person. ‘Responsibility’ has been usually regarded as a personal trait or an individual competence, however, from a cultural psychological perspective it can be conceived as an affective semiotic field that operates as a value orientation of human actions. The construction of values is an intensely dynamic process, involving internalization and externalization of collective meanings, and is central to what we refer to as personal culture. In this study, we depart from the perspectives of the cultural psychology and dialogical self theory, and explore how a young woman navigates into collective culture and constructs a new personal meaning of herself as a “responsible person”. We investigate how the value of ‘responsibility’ becomes progressively integrated into her personal system of values. We focus on the trajectory of Jane, exploring continuity and change in self-positioning over time as she participates in different contexts of life, specifically, family, work and religion. We constructed data through three rounds of in-depth interviews lasting approximately two hours each. Data analysis consisted of narrative analysis, followed by mapping of tensions between self-positions, and analysis of how these tensions evolve. Findings illustrate the dynamic transformation of self-positions overtime, and show how ‘responsibility’ emerges as a new meaning that provides integration of different spheres of Jane’s life along her flux of experience (past-present-future), contributing to the emergence of new perspectives towards the future.

This study aims to analyze the process of semiotic regulation in youth transition to adulthood from the perspectives of cultural developmental psychology and dialogical self theory. The focus is on the transformations that occur in youth’s self-system configurations during a criticaldevelopmental period. In this paper, we will advance the idea that semiotic regulation may lead to the construction of strong signs (i.e. those signs that bring rigidity to personal meaning systems) – and more specifically, of strong inhibitor signs – that block the emergence of alternative meanings, leading to rigidity in the self-system. We present a longitudinal case study of a young man who participated in a social project in Salvador, Bahia to illustrate the process. Data was collected through two rounds of in-depth interviews at ages 18 (1st round) and 21 (2nd round) years. Analysis followed a mapping of positions and counter-positions, as well as emerging tensions and their resolution over time and in different spheres of life (i.e. work, school, and family life). The idea is to show how negotiations of self-positions evolve and activate a mechanism of inhibition of hierarchical integration and construction of alternative future meanings, in which rigid meanings are created and do not allow for emergence of alternative life trajectories.
Keywords: Semiotic Regulation; Inhibitor Signs; Self-positioning; Youth Transitions; Life Trajectories

The transition to work and the conclusion of high school are considered fundamental markers of entrance into the social world of adult life for a significant number of young people in our country, especially for those who need to work to support themselves and their families. This article reports part of a study that investigated the experience of transition to work among adolescent apprentices in Bahia. The purpose was to understand the meanings constructed by the youngsters about the relationship between school and work. The study participants were ten adolescents, male and female, aged 17 to 19 years old, who concluded an apprenticeship program. Data collection included interviews, document review and participant observation in the context. Content analysis revealed that school and work are perceived as two worlds apart. Results highlight the active involvement of the youngsters to overcome their difficulties and negotiate opportunities, showing that, for them, work and school are concomitant projects.

O presente estudo investigou as representações sociais de adolescentes aprendizes sobre o trabalho ea relação entre trabalho e estudo. Setenta jovens com idades entre 15 e 18 anos, participantes de um programa de aprendizagem desenvolvido em uma ONG ...