Abstract
Cybernetics is the study of various systems in biology, sociology, psychology, and physics. In sociology and psychology, cybernetics is used to describe how social and psychological systems work. The theory is based on the structural functionalist theory which operates on the principle of interdependence of various parts of a system for the stability of the whole system.
Social construction has to do with the way people perceive various aspects of life. Both cybernetics and social construction theories are applicable in family therapy. However, they differ in terms of how they address the issue of diversity.
Cybernetics theory
One of the key concepts in cybernetics is feedback, which refers to an output and which triggers positive or negative feedback in a system. A positive feedback is considered as that which brings a change in a system while a negative feedback is considered as that which maintains the status quo in the system (Metcalf, 2011).
One of the basic assumptions of the cybernetics approach is that a family is like the human body which is composed of several organs, with each organ having a specific role to play in the body (Dallos, 2010). The other assumption of the approach is that all families have a structure, either vertical or horizontal.
The relationships within the family structure are important for the well being of the family and therefore, there is need to ensure that all family members play their roles effectively so as to make the family stable (Wetchler & Hecker, 2014). The approach considers a family as an open system. Even though the members of a family are united by shared beliefs, patterns of thinking, and kinship, it does not mean that the family is cushioned from the influence of external factors or actors (Winek, 2010).
The other concept related to the cybernetics approach is homeostasis. This is a mechanism which tries to maintain the relationships between the family members. In other words, homeostasis maintains the status quo in the family structure. Through homeostasis, each family member has some specific expectations from the other family members (Stretch, 2005).
Change is the other concept which is related to the cybernetics approach. The proponents of the approach argue that sometimes the status quo may be a source of family problems. Many people may not realize this fact because they believe that maintaining their relationships with each other is a crucial ingredient for the well being of the family.
One of the basic principles of the cybernetics approach is respecting the culture and values of the family. The therapist is obliged to ensure that the values of the family are respected at all times. When the therapist sees the need of changing the values of the family, there is need for an intensive education of the family on the importance of changing some of the family values.
The other principle is that a family is viewed as a client. Even though a family may have several members, there is need for the therapist to ensure that the intervention does not lead to disunity but enhance unity within the family. The therapist must therefore apply a participatory approach in order to ensure that the family members are part and parcel of the decisions reached in the therapy.
Another principle is that families exist in a social system and therefore, there is need to ensure that the intervention by the therapist does not isolate the family from the rest of the society. The argument is that a healthy family is one that exists in a healthy social environment where there are good relationships between the family members and the society.
Seeing that the cybernetics approach allows for choosing a family-centered therapy approach for the solution of a particular issue, the specified strategy allows for improving the relationships between the family members and providing them with an opportunity to understand the reasons for the malfunctioning of their family. The cybernetics theory helps people realize whether the communication patterns that they have chosen can be deemed as acceptable, and what changes they need to undergo in order to be improved.
In other words, cybernetics allows for an introspective for the patient or patients, therefore, creating the premises for an in-depth analysis of the specifics of the current relationships between the family members. More importantly, the distribution of the family roles among the members can be analyzed with the help of the given approach, therefore, helping address the related issues and redistribute these roles among the members (Guise, 2009).
Social construction theory
Social construction refers to the perceptions people have about certain aspects of life such as gender, race, sex, disease, mental illness, and domestic violence. In most cases, social construction is not based on facts but on stereotypes, prejudice, and historical injustices. For instance, the social construction of gender is characterized by gender stereotypes which are the attitudes people have towards males and females.
The attitudes may be implicit or explicit. Implicit attitudes are internalized by people in their thought processes. For example, a teacher of a school may select male students to represent the school in a mathematics contest and select female students to represent it in the art subjects or languages.
This kind of selection may happen as a result of the belief by the teacher that all males are good in hard subjects like mathematics while all females are good in easy subjects like the arts and languages. In the professional sector, a male doctor may be referred to as ‘the doctor’ while a female one may be referred to as ‘the woman doctor’ to imply that it is unusual for a female to become a doctor.
However, there is nothing funny with a female being a doctor because female doctors are capable of treating patients just like male doctors. Much like the cybernetics theory, the theory of the social construct facilitates a better understanding of the role distribution among the family members.
However, unlike the cybernetics approach, the theory of social construct sets the premises for restructuring the family hierarchy, therefore, providing the couple with the tools that they may use in order to improve their relationships (Guise, 2009).
Family Therapist’s Role in Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories
Both cybernetics and social construction theories are applicable in family therapy. However, the therapist’s role differs in the two theories. With cybernetics theory, the role of the family therapist is to establish linkages between family members. However, not all problems need a restoration of the equilibrium in the family.
The reason is that some problems need a positive feedback which introduces a change in the family as a system. For example, family members may be advised by the family therapist to become more independent instead of being interdependent. The reason is that sometimes, the dependence on each other may lead to dependence syndrome which compromises the ability of individual family members to grow and be self-reliant.
With the cybernetics theory therefore, each family member is considered as a therapy for the others and as a result, the absence of one family member may compromise the healing process (Carr, 2012). With the social construction theory, the role of the family therapist is to deconstruct the thoughts, perceptions, and attitudes of the family members.
It is done with the aim of differentiating myths from facts to enable the family members to live in a world of reality. It is based on the reasoning that some problems in families are not based on facts but on social construction of various issues which affect families. The family therapist therefore aims at helping the family members change their thoughts which cause problems in the family.
For example, some families may believe that HIV/AIDS is caused by witchcraft. As a result, they seek intervention from witch doctors instead of medical doctors. Even though intervention from witch doctors may work on the short term, it may not be effective on the long term. When such a family seeks the help of a family therapist, the family therapist educates them that HIV/AIDS is a medical condition which requires a medical intervention (Nichols, 2013).
Herein the significance of cybernetics in defining the role of a family therapist lies. Unlike any other discipline, cybernetics allows for transforming the role of a family therapist from the one of an observer to that one of an analyst.
Seeing that the very concept facilitates a deeper understanding of the challenges that the family is going through, the relationships that the family members share, and the communication patterns that are accepted within the family in question, the specified discipline helps a family therapist infiltrate the information concerning the relationships within a specific family in order to locate the patterns of the family members interaction and, therefore, identify the problem and contemplate the key steps for addressing the issue in question.
The social construct theory, thus, allows for an even more precise definition of the role of a family therapist in a particular intervention. In accordance with the theory postulates, the therapy process is rooted in the idea of a family as a social construction, each member of it taking a very specific niche.
The role of a therapist, therefore, mainly concerns the redefinition of the family members’ roles. It would be wrong to claim that the therapisr defines the place that each family member should take in a new hierarchy; instead, the therapist promotes the idea, thus, allowing the patient to make their own choice and, therefore, restructure the relationships within the family so that the latter should be complete (Guise, 2009).
Historical Impacts of Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories
The history of cybernetics is traced to the days of Plato and Aristotle who attempted to explain governments in terms of interrelationship of various units of the society. Afterwards, various scholars adopted the concept of cybernetics in different fields such as engineering, mathematics, psychology, and sociology.
The theory of cybernetics has played a crucial role in the formulation of contemporary theories such as systems theory and systems thinking. It has also been used in the advancement of information and communication technology systems to reflect the changing needs of the society (Turner, 2011).
The strength of the approach is that it has the ability to restructure the family in order to eliminate problems which are anchored on the status quo. The approach is based on the principle that all social systems are not static but are dynamic. There is therefore the need to ensure that social institutions such as the family are studied with the aim of ensuring that the necessary changes are made for them to function well.
The limitation of the approach is that it puts more emphasis on structural changes of the family to the extent that it ignores changes at the individual level. For any therapy to be successful there is need to focus not only on the environment but also on the individual.
The approach is also unsuitable in addressing family problems in which one of the members is hospitalized or is unable to attend therapy sessions. The reason is that all the members have to attend the sessions for the therapy to be successful.
The social construction theory may be traced to the emergence of concepts such as feminism, affirmative action, gender equity and equality, social class, and wealth. These concepts were associated with the existence of a gap between various units of the society especially in social institutions. Different scholars conducted research to establish the causes of the gap and found that there were deep rooted perceptions on various issues such as gender.
The theory led to the emergence of various campaigns which aimed at ensuring that there was fairness, justice, and equity in the society. Examples of the campaigns include girl child education, women empowerment, and protection of the rights of minority groups (Roberts, 2009).
How Diversity is Addressed in Cybernetics and Social Construction Theories
Cybernetics and social construction theories differ in terms of how they address the issue of diversity. With cybernetics theory, diversity in social institutions is viewed as positive. The theory also considers diversity as a strength which may be tapped and transformed into an opportunity for social institutions to enhance their unity.
Since the theory is based on the principle of interdependence of various units of social systems, and given that all social systems are not homogenous, the theory contents that it is not possible to have peaceful coexistence in the society without embracing diversity.
On the other hand, the social construction theory views diversity as negative because it considers social institutions as homogenous entities which are only stable when there is uniformity. For instance, people in a given society may share the same belief about an aspect of life irrespective of whether the belief is true or not.
Those who do not share that belief in that society may be considered as outcasts or as enemies of the other members of that society. For example, members of a particular society may believe that corruption is the only way of enriching oneself. Those who attempt to fight corruption may be considered as enemies of development in that society.
Conclusion
The analysis of the family hierarchy and the definition of the issues that are related to the family structure adopted by the patient and their relatives is, perhaps, one of the most complicated tasks for a family therapist.
However, by adopting the approach of cybernetics and using the theory of social construct, a therapist may alter their role so that the analysis could be more fruitful and that more efficient changes could be made to the relationships between the patient and their family.
Providing a therapist with the power that allows them to dissect and analyze the family relationships of the patient, as well as suggest their ways of altering these relationships, are the obvious advantages of the specified approaches.
References
Carr, A. (2012). Family therapy: concepts, process, and practice. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Dallos, R. (2010). An introduction to family therapy. Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill International.
Guise, R. W. (2009). Study guide for the marriage and family therapy national licensing examination. Boston, MA: The Family Solutions Corporation.
Metcalf, L. (2011). Marriage and family therapy: a practice-oriented approach. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
Nichols, M. (2013). Family Therapy: concepts. Boston: Pearson Education.
Roberts, A. R. (2009). Social workers’ desk reference. New York: Oxford University Press.
Stretch, B. (2005). Health & social care: As level for excel. Oxford: Heinemann.
Turner, F.J. (2011). Social work treatment: interlocking theoretical approaches. New York: Oxford University Press.
Wetchler, J.L., & Hecker, L.L. (2014). An introduction to marriage and family therapy. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
Winek, J.W. (2010).Systemic family therapy: from theory to practice. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.