This paper examines Bowen's Family-Systems Theory, also known as Bowen Theory and Bowen Natural Systems Theory, the name
given to an
approach to behavioral psychology for its principal theoretician, Murray Bowen. It analyzes how Bowen's theory shows that the proper way of identifying systems is in terms not of hierarchy structures but rather of networks and interpenetration, with multiple influences and cues informing individual experiences and responses. It discusses its approach to the analysis and clinical treatment of family systems, how it may be distinguished from other family theories and how it can be successfully used in a
community setting by a community.