Embracing Cybernetics: Living Legacy of the Bateson Research Team

The communication/ interactional theory created by what has come to be called the Palo Alto Group constitutes one of the most influential conceptual frameworks in the field of family theory and therapy. The Don D. Jackson Archive of Systemic Literature preserves a large collection of research materials out of which communication/ interactional theory was derived. These include published research findings, as well as original research data, audio, and film documents. Of particular interest are 129 transcripts and audio recordings of the weekly meetings of Gregory Bateson and colleagues, Don D. Jackson, Jay Haley, John Weakland, and William Fry. A detailed analysis of these surviving documents was completed, culminating in the first comprehensive overview of these historic materials. This paper describes themes evidenced in these original source materials, and their relevance to the field of family theory and therapy.