Culture as patterns: An alternative approach to the problem of reification

To challenge the treatment of culture and self as reified entities, Hermans (2001) proposes a model of both culture and self as a multiplicity of dial ogical positions. We question whether this model fully responds to his chal lenge. First, the notion of positioning itself appears to reify culture by treating flowing patterns as fixed locations. Second, the notion of dialogu e appears to neglect the possibility of automatic influence from implicit c ultural patterns. This implies a core, universal self whose functioning is insensitive to cultural variation. We suggest an alternative approach to th e problem of reification: to conceive of culture not as group, but as patte rns. Corresponding to this shift, we propose a distinction between the nego tiation of cultural identity and the cultural grounding of self. As a model of identity negotiation, Hermans' dialogical self makes important contribu tions: it emphasizes the multiplicity of identity highlights the agency of the self as a constructor of identity and suggests the importance of psycho logy-and the study of self, in particular-for the study of culture.