In an increasingly interconnected world, a dialogical self is not only possible but even necessary. People are closer together than ever, yet they are confronted with apparent and sometimes even insurmountable differences.

While there is a need of increased dialogue between individuals, groups, and cultures, it is equally important to develop of dialogical potentials within the self of the individual person. Elaborating on these concerns, the authors present and discuss a Dialogical Self Theory based on the assumption that the self functions as a society of mind. The self is not simply participating in a “surrounding” society, but functions itself as a mini-society, which is, at the same time, part of the society at large. The authors:

• Present the theory in detail
• Explore the developmental origins of the dialogical self
• Elaborate on the identity development of adolescents growing up in multicultural societies
• Discuss a striking example of a social movement in India, where individual and collective voices merge in a nationwide protest.

This is the 137^th volume in this series. Its mission is to provide scientific and scholarly presentations on cutting edge issues and concepts in child and adolescent development. Each volume focuses on a specific new direction or research topic and is edited by experts on that topic.