Leaving NRMs

Leaving NRMs: Social Science Perspectives

Soc 257:

New Religious Movements

Primary source for lecture:

Wright, Sturart A. and Helen Rose Ebaugh, "Leaving New Religions," in Handbook on Cults and Sects in America, D. Bromley and J. Hadden (eds) 1993.

Lecture Outline:

Part I
Introduction

Introduction

While it was obvious during the 1960s that people were leaving NRMs as well as joining, relatively little attention was paid to the latter.

In retrospect, this seems ironic because the anti-cultists were arguing that it was virtually impossible to leave "cults" without the benefit of outside help.

Helen Rose Ebaugh

Stuart A. Wright

Handbook of Cults and Sects in America

David Bromley
Jeffrey K. Hadden (eds)

Part II
Conceptualizing Defection

Conceptualizing Defection

Disaffection = Affective

Disillusionment = Cognitive

leaders

Disaffiliation - Social Organization

Part III
Methodological Issues

Methodological Issues

Reconstruction

Retrospective Reporting

Persons who left involuntarily are especially likely to view the experience negatively in conformity to the view of parents who had them removed.

Social and Organizational Factors in Reconstruction

Refers both to social and organizational factors in the group left behind as well as social and organizatoinal affiliations after leaving.

Temporal Variability

The passing of time offers perspecive that may significantly alter the way one feels about the group.

It may also alter one's perceptions about how one felt at the time of departure.

Persons who don't seem to be able to get on with their lives are more likely to harbor resentment for the experience and blame the group for their current situation.

Proposition time:

The more successful the transition to other roles, the more likely one's experience in the "cult" will diminish in signifiance for the individual.

The more successful the transition to other roles, the less likely the individual will interpret their experience in the NRM in negative terms.

Summary methodological
observation:

Part IV
Theoretical Issues

Theoretical Perspectives

A. Role Theory

B. Causal Process Models

Defection as Sequential Disengagement

Crisis factors that could precipitate disaffection:

Crisis factors that could precipitate
disaffection
(con't):

Review:
Defection as Sequential Disengagement

C. Social Movement Theory

D. Psychosocial Disruption

Explusion

Extraction

What do we know about people who leave?

How one leaves makes a big difference in how the adjustment period goes

James Lewis studied 154 persons who left NRMs.

They left by different paths:

They experienced dramatically different mental health symptoms

Homework
Assignment

Which group experienced the greatest stress symptoms?

Next topic:

Deprogramming