Postmodernism is a philosophical aspect that is described as a truism. It is a concept characterized by relativism, subjectivism, and skepticism. Postmodernism plays a role in asserting and balancing life through a general suspicion of reason. The basis of postmodernism is the reaction against the intellectual assumptions and traits of the present-time history of Western philosophy. Postmodernism presents specific ideas, such as language, that have dramatically informed the concepts of social constructionism, diversity, equity, and therapy.
Postmodernism, in its spheres, presents language as a construct of the person and the concept of difference as a connection of severe interpersonal misunderstanding (Smoliak & Strong, 2019). Generally, language is a product of social circumstances rather than a natural link. Such theoretical concepts inform my personal and professional skills. They are exciting ideas that aid in perfecting myself and improving my practice as a marriage and family therapist. Like the system theories, postmodernism is an essential tool in understanding both the language and behaviors of human beings.
Postmodernism and systems theories bear the same concepts. They share several similarities in the understanding of reality and logic. Both contextualize human behavior in defining a person’s unique experiences. Each approach identifies and focuses on different markers of the context. Still, it can be revealed from a close examination that the two seek insights into an individual’s member’s specifics in life (Smoliak & Strong, 2019). Additionally, to understand a person’s behavior, systems theories, like postmodernism, assess the cultural identifications and backgrounds of the people. However, the two have one significant difference in the modality of therapy. System theories usually pay more attention to homeostasis as a human behavior predictor, while postmodernism weighs into individual reality. Therefore, they can be used to improve the outcome of therapy sessions such as marriage and family therapy.
Just like social constructionism, postmodernism presents various presuppositions that guide my work as a marriage and family therapist. As such, they include differences that are systematic misunderstandings between people that occur when people wrongly interpret the language and words used by someone. This is because, in postmodernism, language has been made to be a construct of an individual’s experience, culture, reality, and background (Smoliak & Strong, 2019). This aids my practice because, as the MFT, I am an observer. Therefore, I can identify the issues causing the misunderstanding and help eliminate them and resolve the conflict.
Differences also inform social constructionism by manifesting an individual’s identifications, such as ethnic background. Language imperfections are outlined by describing the arrays of its practical demonstration and establishing its reality (Smoliak & Strong, 2019). This also reveals that a person cannot be perfect in language. As an MFT, this helps me formulate a strategy to navigate the imprecise issues, identify the chief sources of the misunderstanding, and address the problem.
According to postmodernism, personal truth and reality are directly related to experiential, cultural, and linguistic constructs. Further, it explains that, as humans, we tend to develop our subjective truth rather than find objective facts. A marriage and family therapist who understands these concepts can better their services. This is because they can assist one to have insights into their truth and bring it to a family system without altering the reality of other members.
One other aspect that has been influenced by postmodernism is social justice. It has dramatically impacted the social structures and aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion and has changed conversations related to such concepts. This is due to the changes it has brought to human understanding. The present-day philosophy has assessed and challenged past norms and awareness of diversity. It has presented a new contract that each individual has imaginative realities and truth. This has promoted the idea of respecting human diversity and constructs. Further, postmodernism has played a role in changing the views on the roles and interactions of people in different societal systems. The inclusion of persons in families and the community has changed as each person’s duties and uniqueness are acknowledged.
Additionally, postmodernism, through its ideas, has restructured the recovery model that seeks to improve a person’s mental health. The primary factor that is considered in the recovery model is the holistic approach to the condition. The main focus should be on the well-being of an individual rather than the elimination of the symptoms. The ideas presented by postmodernism can be directly related to the model. Such concepts, such as life fragments, reveal the different aspects that could be considered when providing care.
Postmodernism, like the recovery model, emphasizes a person’s local issues and struggles. This is because mental problems result from minor issues (Qu, 2022). A core idea that is also related to the recovery model is language understanding. This concept facilitates the identification of the critical issues that can be resolved and promotes recovery. However, the dialogue between Jack and Jill and the concepts of realism versus antirealism still need clarification. Further, I also have questions on the connection between postmodernism and MFT and on which of the different therapy approaches comprehensively employs the ideas of postmodernism.
In conclusion, postmodernism is a concept of philosophy that seeks to assert and provide a balanced life by describing the key ideas that are critical in modern society. As such, they include language that has been illustrated as a construct and, more often, a concept of difference. Like system theories, postmodernism also assesses human behavior and its uniqueness through cultural identifications and backgrounds. Therefore, the aspects of postmodernism are essential professions such as marriage and family therapy. However, which therapy approach is comprehensively related to postmodernism is still being determined.
References
Qu, N. (2022). Individualized Assessment and Therapeutic Intervention for Mental Health of American Postmodern Novelists. Occupational Therapy International, 2022. Web.
Smoliak, O., & Strong, T. (2019). Postmodernism in couple and family therapy. In Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy (pp. 2260-2266). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Web.