This article discusses the basic dimensions that may contribute to foster children participation in social change: culture, self-construction and autonomy. It presents theoretical concepts and principles of sociocultural constructivism related to self, here conceived as a complex and dynamic system resulting from interactions between active individual and cultural canalizations. Taking into account cultural practices related to the institutionalization of childhood, it analyzes how values and beliefs may contribute to children social participation in decision making processes, overcoming current limitations. It concludes that co-constructivism may indeed contribute to promote children social participation, since it emphasizes both culture and the constructive individual.
self; autonomy; children participation