Lecture topic:
Why people joins NRMs

Why Do People Join NRMs?
Social Science Models

Soc 257:

New Religious Movements

Lecture Outline:

Part I
The Web of Group Affiliaion

Why do people belong to groups?

Why join religious groups?

Through much of history, one's religion was the religion of the ruler

In the contemporary modern world, one's faith is often a matter of choice.

Factors affecting decision to join

Throughout history some people have always been attracted to particular faith traditions by extraordinary feelings of attachment

Committed to persecuting members of the young Christian cult, Saul was struck down by a bolt of light on the road to Demascus and became the most celebrated convert in all of Christendom.

Conversion, undersood as a radical life transforming experience has played a central role in Christianity from the beginning.

Here are just a few examples:

Who is this man?

In summary:
reasons for joining a faith tradition:

Part II:
Conversion As a
Problematic Status

Conversion is problematic for a number of reasons depending who is assessing the conversion

Variations in Conversion Experience

Variation in conversion experience

Intensity high -------------> low

Demands high -------------> low

Ideological distance high -------------> low

In the lecture on the vocabulary of our inquiry we noted that the social sciences are in the business of building theory, and that the purpose of theory is to provide a road map for predicting human behavior.

What are the elements or concepts we have to work with?

Two propositions:

The greater the intensity of the conversion experience, the greater the demands, and the greater the ideological distance, the greater the potential for rejection and conflict.

The lower the intensity of the conversion experience, the lower the demands, and the less the ideologial distance, the greater the ease of accepting or accommodating to the conversion.

Part III
Theories of Conversion

Theories of Conversion:

A. Deprivaion Theory

Traditional Conceptions of Deprivation:

Critique of psychological deprivation model:

Most importantly, the theory does not cover the full range of factors that my contribute to joining a group, e.g.:

1. desire to escape an intolerable life situation

2. desire to escape an unwanted "ego" or "self"

3. quest for a sense of community

4. pursuit of truth; ultimate meaning in life

A. Deprivaion Theory (con't)

1. "Human affinity for close-knit groups is ubiquitous and apparently an innate trait.

2. People join many kinds of chaismatic groups to achieve group affiliation.

3. Joining produces a "relief effect"

4. Even pathological groups can produce positive effects.

5. Once in a group, leaving can become difficult

B. Social Process Model

C. Role Theory Model

D. Commitment Model

Three Types of Commtment

Kanter's Commitment Theory

Type of Commitment

Instrumental

[organizational]

Affective

[members]

Moral

[ideas]

E. Social Network Theory

Personal bonds key to joining movements

Lofland and Stark found that every potential recruit to the Doomsday Cult who developed strong personal ties with a member of the group joined.

Building on these observations, David Snow reasoned that new recruits to all kinds of groups would likely return to old groups to seek yet additional recruits.

Inclusive v Exclusive Movements

Movements and social networks

Movement: % recriting w/in

networks

March of Dimes 90

Anti-abortion 91

Pentecostal 79, 74, 59

Sokagakkai ?

Hare Krishnas ?

Movements and social networks

Movement: % recriting w/in

networks

March of Dimes 90

Anti-abortion 91

Pentecostal 79, 74, 59

Sokagakkai 92,96,100

Hare Krishnas ?

Movements and social networks

Summary of Lecture:

Conversion is generally understood as an emotionally charged experience that leads to a dramatic reorganization of the convert's life.

In reality, conversion varies enormously in terms of the intensity of the experience and the degree to which it actually alters the life of the convert.

Summary of Lecture (con't)

What all of these theories have in common (deprivation theory excluded) is the view that joining or converting is a natural process.

Next topic

Leaving New Religious Movements:
Social Science Perspectives