Examines theoretical dilemmas arising from the polarization of family epistemologies into the pragmatic and the aesthetic. Examines the problem of ascertaining the truth of any theory, from three perspectives: truth as fact, coherence, and usefulness. Concludes with four advantages of applying systems theory to the theory and practice of family…

Holistic epistemology of systems must neither reify the system nor obscure the dynamics of the members. The sometimes diverging perspectives of the psychodynamic/growth and structural/strategic approaches actually converge in the realization that personal experiencing and social structure are not dichotomous phenomena but are related through the…