The development of identity in children and the interrelationships with language and communication

Résumé

In this article I explore the interrelationships between identity, language, communication and cognitive development of children with an indigenous background in Mexico City, based on a case study. I argue that identity should not be understood as a set of characteristics of an individual or group, but as a dynamic state of consciousness that depends on cognitive development and the close interdependence between language and communication. I start from the premise that language and identity cannot be understood in any other way, but from a holistic and comprehensive perspective, and in this sense, interdisciplinary. Based on an analysis of the interaction of a group of second-generation migrant children from an Otomí community who live in a multicultural space in Mexico City, I show the role of cognitive development and school education in the formation of consciousness. Consciousness is an important part of the development of identity and school education, while the latter is a place of learning and a place of insertion in the field of social interaction.