ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the self during latency and the dynamics between the areas of the self according to the developmental paradigm using an analogy to a biological cell. The transition from the childhood self to the social self, and from willfulness to subordination, occurs through “group twinship” (self psychology). Rigid compliance with social norms creates a state of conformity and uniformity among the group of children in the class. This state of similarity between all the children enables the bridging and transition between the two psychic states - childhood self and social self. Understanding the latency stage according to the new paradigm contributes to understanding moral development and the development of empathy during latency. The chapter also illuminates the range of phenomena occurring during latency as stemming from and related to the latency stage’s development.
