"A Momentary Gleam of Enlightenment"

Abstract

The authors argue that the phrase family suggests a compatibility between two bodies of knowledge and practice-feminism and family therapy -which they believe has not been adequately articulated. Accordingly, the field lacks a clear theoretical framework which could yield a consistent practice methodology reflective of both feminist and systemic/cybernetic understandings. While it is not yet clear that such a theoretical integration is possible-or even necessarily desirable-the authors explore the possibility that Bateson's concept of double description may provide the basis of such a model.