Review of Children’s Identity Construction via Narratives

Jiryung Ahn

.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2011.25060                

Abstract

Understanding oneself is a fundamental human concern that starts early and continues throughout life. Identity construction is also a life-long process, but early childhood is the critical period for laying the foundation. Children’s identity construction proceeds through diverse perspectives which do not necessarily follow developmental steps. These perspectives include how children view themselves in relation to others through narratives, and how they embody themselves in the peer interactions of peer group and school. Self-identity is changed and transformed through interactions with environment and diverse experiences. The various ways children construct their identities reveal their efforts to “become.” Understanding who we are in early childhood opens the door to acknowledging ourselves as significant human beings.

Keywords

Component, Formatting, Style, Styling

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogic imagination. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
[2]	Bettelheim, B. (1976). The uses of enchantment: The meaning and importance of fairy tales. New York, NY: Random House.
[3]	Brockmeier, J., & Carbaugh, D. (Eds.) (2001). Narrative and identity: Studies in autobiography, self and culture. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
[4]	Chang, C. (1998). The development of autonomy in preschool mandarin Chinese-speaking children’s play narratives. Narrative Inquiry, 8, 77-111. doi:10.1075/ni.8.1.05cha
[5]	Giroux, H. (1987). Critical literacy and student experience: Donald Grave’s approach to literacy. Language Arts, 64, 175-181.
[6]	Graham, R. J. (1991). Reading and writing the self: Autobiography in education and the curriculum. New York, NY: Teacher College Press.
[7]	Grieshaber, S., & Cannella, G. S. (Eds.) (2001). Embracing identities in early childhood education: Diversity and possibilities. New York, NY: Teacher College Press.
[8]	Kerby, A. P. (1991). Narrative and the self. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
[9]	Kristeva, J. (2000). Hannah Arendt: Life is a narrative. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
[10]	Miller, P. J., & Mehler, R. A. (1994). The power of personal storytelling in families and kindergartens. In A. H. Dyson, & C. Genishi. (Eds.), The need for story: Cultural diversity in classroom and community (pp. 38-54). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
[11]	Ricoeur, P. (1992). Oneself as another. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
[12]	Sunal, C. S. (1990). Early childhood social studies. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
[13]	Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.