Beyond the Systems Paradigm

This monograph owes its origins to the decades-old proposal by David Bakan (1968) about the duality of human experience. He proposed that community and agency would be two necessary and sufficient constructs to classify and to encompass most human relationships. This dichotomy has been found to be valid by a variety of contributions over the last half a century (L'Abate, 2009; L'Abate, Cusinato, Maino,Colesso, & Scilletta, 2010). Additionally, the purpose of this bookis to argue and assert that two important fields of psychology, family and personality psychologies, if not already dead are conceptually, empirically, and practicallymoribund. They are being superseded respectively by perhaps more appropriate, perhaps more specific, and more likely verifiable concepts and constructs, such as intimacy and identity. The traditional family stillconceived as composed by two parents and two children of different gender is esponsible for only one fourth of all domiciles in USA. Singles, same-sex couples, and completely different family organization complete the remaining 100%. Difficulties in defining what is personality require a change in perspective and advance toward a comprehensive theory of human relationships that can and should fulfill requirements necessary to achieve an undoubtedly grandioseand ambitious universal status.

​This monograph owes its  origins to the decades-old proposal by David Bakan (1968) about the duality of human experience. He proposed that community and agency  would be two necessary and  sufficient constructs  to classify and to encompass most human relationships. This dichotomy  has been found to be valid by a variety of contributions  over the last half a century (L’Abate, 2009; L’Abate, Cusinato, Maino, Colesso, & Scilletta, 2010). Additionally, the purpose of this book is to argue and assert  that two important fields of psychology,  family and personality  psychologies, if not already dead are conceptually, empirically, and practically  moribund. They are  being superseded respectively by perhaps more appropriate, perhaps more specific,  and more likely verifiable concepts and constructs, such as intimacy and identity. The traditional family still conceived as composed by two parents and two children of different gender is esponsible for only one fourth of all domiciles in USA. Singles, same-sex couples, and completely different family organization complete the remaining 100%. Difficulties in defining what is personality require a  change in perspective and advance toward a comprehensive theory of human relationships that can and should fulfill requirements necessary to achieve an undoubtedly  grandiose and ambitious universal status.​ 

The Meaning of Constructs.- The Decline and possible Demise of Family  Psychology: Families without Personalities.- The Decline and possible Demise of Personality  Psychology: Personalities without Families.- The (Slow but Sure) Rise of  Attachment Theory,  Communication and Relationship Science.- Relational Competence Theory: Toward a Comprehensive Classification  of Human Relationship.- Conclusion: Identity as an Overarching Construct in Relational Competence Theory.