Abandoning our parents and grandparents: does social construction mean theend of systemic family therapy?

This paper explores how ideas from first- and second-order cybernetics may be incorporated into the contemporary interest in social constructionist pe rspectives. We argue that it is possible to contemplate a third-order cyber netics which incorporates ideas from systems theory and social construction ism and that this may capture the reality of the 'hands-on' integration of ideas that many practitioners are currently exploring. A framework consisti ng of eight connecting threads is proposed as a way of helping us to clarif y the continuities and discontinuities between the original and contemporar y ideas. It is argued that this is an important and potentially useful ende avour, since many practitioners use a mixture of ideas and techniques in an eclectic way but are wary of potential criticisms of being 'linear', 'expe rt', 'manipulative' and 'non-collaborative'. A case study is offered to ill ustrate a 'hands-on' integration of contemporary and pioneering ideas and t o invite discussion of how concepts and techniques from first-, second- and the new 'third-order' cybernetics influenced by social constructionism mig ht be further integrated.