The assumption made in this paper is that the development of self-identity is not
restricted to making distinctions between oneself and significant others, but extends
with no less importance to objects and things, and the very spaces and places in which
they are tigund. If the child learns 'who he is' by virtue of his relationship with those
who satisfy his needs by taking care of him, then it follows that contributing to that
same self-knowledge are the toys, clothes, rooms, and whole array of physical things
and settings that also satisfyand support his existence. There is not only the distinction
between himself and 'my mommy', but also the difference between himself and
'my room'. The room is different and distinct from what he is, but by belonging
to him and satisfying him it serves to continually define his own bodily experiences
and consciousness as a separate and distinct individual. In effect, the subjective sense
of self is defined and expressed not simply by one's relationship to other people, but
also by one's relationships to the various physical settings that define and structure
day-to-day life.