Cybernetics

A critical comparison of the epistemological governing the first and second order approaches.

1. Reality

1.1 Both approaches view reality as subjective. Reality is created by enculturation, values, people's experiences and their perceptions about those experiences. Therefore reality is different for everyone depending on the context and different solutions are applicable.

1.2. Both approaches view the clients' impact on each other as mutual. This means that what client A does and says will affect client B' s response and behavior and vise versa.

1.3. The question that both approaches ask is 'what' instead of 'why'. Dwelling on the past does not provide the solution. The solution is created by the clients' interaction now.

1.4. The first order approach sees reality as external to the observer. The observer is therefore not affected by the relationship.

The second order approach sees reality as internal. The observer is affected by the relationship with clients and the clients are affected by the relationship with the observer.

1.5. The first order approach sees the observer as a person who is there to provide input but is not affected by what is going on.

Th e second order approach refers to interactions as perpetuations instead of inputs because the therapist and clients all impact each other's lives. Therefore whatever happens in everyone' s lives impacts everyone. I favor this approach because a person is changed by whoever they interact with consciously and unconsciously. I am being impacted in my personal life by this book because of the person that wrote it.

1.6 The first order approach sees the immediate interaction among clients as the one that impacts them.

The second order approach sees the relationship of the clients, observer and the system of the world as impacting each other. For example, the economy can make clients to have financial problems that affect their relationship and in turn the observer.

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