Posted by LS in the Cedu forumhttp://liamscheff.com/daily/2008/01/28/ ... on-a-cult/ (links active at my blog).
Getting ready to film interviews with ex-Cedu/RMA in LA and Bay Area in March. Post a comment if you'll be in town and want to pop up in a documentary.
Here's a neat little tool - What is the style of education you're experiencing: Open, Advertising, Indoctrination, Propaganda, Thought Reform?
In doing research on Cults in America, and specifically those that re-form themselves as schools for troubled teens, I found this handy chart (see below), taken from Dr. Margaret Singer’s book, Cults in Our Midst (at Factnet.org ) outlining some of the differences between education and thought reform (also called “brain-washing”), and some of the stops along the way – advertising, indoctrination and propaganda.
Which of these processes best describe your school days? Your grade school? High school? College?
Your work environment? A corporate work environment?
Education involves: * Many bodies of knowledge, based on scientific findings in various fields.
* Two way
pupil-teacher exchange encouraged.
* Change occurs as science advances; as students and other scholars offer criticisms; as students and citizens evaluate programs.
* Uses teacher-pupil structure; logical
thinking encouraged. * Instruction is time-limited:
consensual. * Is
not deceptive. * Respects differences.
Propaganda Requires: * Takes authoritarian stance
to persuade masses. * Learner support and engrossment expected.
* Can be deceptive,
often exaggerated. * Targets large political masses to make them believe a
specific view or circumstance is good. * Wants to lessen opposition.
* Overt persuasion
sometimes unethical.Thought Reform Demands: * Body of knowledge centers on
changing people without their knowledge.
* No exchange occurs, communication is
one-sided. [Getting "blown away," anyone?]
* Change occurs rarely; organization remains fairly rigid; change occurs primarily to improve thought-reform
effectiveness. * Takes authoritarian and hierarchical stance;
No full awareness on part of learner.
* Group attempts to
retain people forever. * Is deceptive.
* Individualized target;
hidden agenda (you will be changed one step at a time to become deployable to serve leaders).
*
No respect for differences.
* Uses Improper and
unethical techniques.Anybody stuck in the zone? Take the quiz!
More at the blog:
http://liamscheff.com/daily/2008/01/28/ ... on-a-cult/