Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness
Traditionally, the study of self-awareness has often been disconnected from the body and space. An interesting exception is neonatal imitation theories, which emphasize proprioceptive mechanisms, body schema, and the role of copying others, in developing the self. However, grounded in representation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2517663 |
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| author | Ximena González-Grandón Gerónimo Rangel |
| author_facet | Ximena González-Grandón Gerónimo Rangel |
| author_sort | Ximena González-Grandón |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traditionally, the study of self-awareness has often been disconnected from the body and space. An interesting exception is neonatal imitation theories, which emphasize proprioceptive mechanisms, body schema, and the role of copying others, in developing the self. However, grounded in representational cognitive frameworks, these theories often portray infants and caregivers as passive participants, overlooking that early interactions are dynamic, spatially oriented, and reciprocal in nature. Adopting an enactive and ecological perspective, this article argues that even the most minimal forms of embodied self-awareness are inherently relational and emerge through early embodied interactions with caregivers. In the first months of life, proprioceptive experiences of interbodily interactions –reciprocal, active body-to-body exchanges– play a crucial role in shaping an infant’s embodied self-awareness. By emphasizing the interdependence of these perceptual exchanges, we reframe early development as a relational and co-constituted process, inseparable from the social and affective dynamics of caregiving. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e295c6cdb2904c2fac5d92541f396730 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2331-1983 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-e295c6cdb2904c2fac5d92541f3967302025-08-20T03:17:43ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832025-12-0112110.1080/23311983.2025.2517663Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awarenessXimena González-Grandón0Gerónimo Rangel1Departamento de Educación, Universidad Iberoamericana (Ciudad de México), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Filosofía y Ciencias de la Complejidad (Chile), MéxicoDepartamento de Filosofía, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, MéxicoTraditionally, the study of self-awareness has often been disconnected from the body and space. An interesting exception is neonatal imitation theories, which emphasize proprioceptive mechanisms, body schema, and the role of copying others, in developing the self. However, grounded in representational cognitive frameworks, these theories often portray infants and caregivers as passive participants, overlooking that early interactions are dynamic, spatially oriented, and reciprocal in nature. Adopting an enactive and ecological perspective, this article argues that even the most minimal forms of embodied self-awareness are inherently relational and emerge through early embodied interactions with caregivers. In the first months of life, proprioceptive experiences of interbodily interactions –reciprocal, active body-to-body exchanges– play a crucial role in shaping an infant’s embodied self-awareness. By emphasizing the interdependence of these perceptual exchanges, we reframe early development as a relational and co-constituted process, inseparable from the social and affective dynamics of caregiving.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2517663self-awareness developmentearly childhoodsensorimotor enactivismintercorporealitydevelopmental ecological psychologyearly social perception |
| spellingShingle | Ximena González-Grandón Gerónimo Rangel Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness Cogent Arts & Humanities self-awareness development early childhood sensorimotor enactivism intercorporeality developmental ecological psychology early social perception |
| title | Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness |
| title_full | Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness |
| title_fullStr | Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness |
| title_short | Intercorporeality comes from the beginning: the co-constitution of infant self-awareness |
| title_sort | intercorporeality comes from the beginning the co constitution of infant self awareness |
| topic | self-awareness development early childhood sensorimotor enactivism intercorporeality developmental ecological psychology early social perception |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2517663 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ximenagonzalezgrandon intercorporealitycomesfromthebeginningthecoconstitutionofinfantselfawareness AT geronimorangel intercorporealitycomesfromthebeginningthecoconstitutionofinfantselfawareness |