Gregory Bateson (Grantchester, 1904 — San Francisco, 1980) was a British-American anthropologist, biologist, and epistemologist, one of the most influential intellectual figures of the 20th century. He worked in cybernetics, ethnography, schizophrenia, evolution, and the ecology of mind. His interdisciplinary perspective made possible the birth of systemic thinking applied to human communication.
Central contribution to the family field: Bateson led the Palo Alto research group (with Don Jackson, Jay Haley, Virginia Satir, and others) that, in the 1950s and 60s, laid the foundations of systemic family therapy. His work on schizophrenia first formulated the idea that individual psychic pathology can be understood as a response to dysfunctional communication patterns within the family system.
The double bind: his most famous concept. It describes a communicative situation where a person simultaneously receives two contradictory messages and cannot meta-communicate (point out the contradiction) or escape the situation. Chronically experienced, it can precipitate severe psychological disorders. It is one of the most cited concepts in family therapy and communication.
Importance for Constelando: Bateson provides the theoretical substratum of the systemic perspective that the Hellinger-inspired approach implicitly inherits. Concepts like 'a member's symptom is a symptom of the system,' 'the system is more than the sum of its parts,' 'there is no linear causality in family matters' originate in Bateson's thinking.
Bibliography
- Steps to an Ecology of Mind — Gregory Bateson. Lohlé-Lumen, 1972 (orig. English 1972).
These books are in the reference library that nourishes Constelando el Origen.
Related terms
Double bind (Bateson)
A communication pattern formulated by Bateson: the person receives two simultaneous contradictory messages without being able to meta-communicate or escape. Chronically, it can precipitate severe psychic pathology.
See entryFamily system
A living set of all clan members—living, deceased, excluded, unborn—and the deep bonds that govern it.
View profileSalvador Minuchin
Argentinian-American psychiatrist (1921-2017). Founder of structural family therapy. His work with families in poverty brought empirical rigor to the field of systemic therapy.
View profileVirginia Satir
American social worker and family therapist (1916-1988). Pioneer of humanistic family therapy. She invented the "family sculpture," a precursor to Constellations.
View profileA session that names what hurts
If you recognize this dynamic in your own story, a Family Constellation can reveal where it comes from and what movement can bring order to it. Daniela accompanies each case with respect.
Sessions in Spanish only