The ethical play of irreverence in deconstruction and family therapy

Abstract

This article celebrates the lives of two systemic thinkers who shared a theme of irreverence and the ethical in their work, It limk: Ceechin et al’s concept of irreverence in family therapy to the wider philosophical landscape of Derrida’s deconstruction. The former argued against adopting fixed or rigid theory positions in family therapy that lead to futile play-offs and endless debates about which framework is true or ‘correct’. They proposed a stance of irreverence or playful impiety toward any theory or idea that limits practice options for family therapists. This avoids divisive dichotomies in the field like between modern systems, strategic or structural approaches and a postmodern social constructionist or narrative metaphor. Deconstruction introduces a sense of play and irreverence towards the dominant discourse of a text, theory, institution, approach or idea. Either/or dichotomies that define one way of thinking unpack into a both’ and diversity of language and meaning a: a play of differences. As Derrida defines it, deconstruction is an ethical relation to the other based on a gesture of responsibility and hospitality where the marginalized other is invited to have a voice. I explore the ethical play of irreverence as a guiding metaphor for contemporary Introduction Over a decade ago Cecchin et al (1993) documented a philosophical standoff or theory demarcation in the field of family therapy: one that began in the mid-1980's and to some extent is still being played out today. On one side were first order cybemetic structural and strategic interventionists who advocated and to some extent still do (Minuchin. 1998), that family therapists are instrumentalists who wield power and influence to intervene in family and wider systems. On the other side of this theory divide postmoderm therapists with a social constructionist and narrative epistemology cautioned against the use of power in favor of non-instrumentality and working with language and story in the th