The narrative/conversational mode of family therapy, based in constructivism and Batesonian cybernetics, has lately associated itself with the poststructuralism of Foucault and Derrida. The narrative/conversational models of White and Epston (1990) and de Shazer (1991) draw only selectively from Foucault and Derrida's ideas and so perpetuate the constructivist neglect of social context and power. Disregarded aspects of Foucault and Derrida's work do contribute to an under‐standing of social context and power. Poststructuralism is a dubious prop for constructivist assumptions: its true merit is in its capacity to illuminate the political/cultural context of our practice, including family therapy as a social institution.

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This paper proposes that concepts of causality and power are compatible with a systemicparadigm based on the cybernetics ofAshby, rather than that ofBateson. The repudiation of causality and power by Bateson and his adherents is criticized; the related Batesonian biases against "quantity" and "logic" are also addressed. Batesonian arguments against causality are examined in reference to philosophical theories of causation. Relevant aspects of Ashby's cybernetic theory are contrasted with the Batesonian position. Some implications of a systemic paradigm which incorporates concepts of causality and power are drawn.

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