A 10:002 or 10:003 Unit ~ Cults and Controversy

Overview	Schedule		Activities		Formal Assignments		Resources
	Weeks 1-2	Weeks 3-5	Ads	Scenarios	Paper	Speech

Schedule: Weeks 3-5

Week 3 Day 1: The Benefits of Membership Read: Gallanter (13-33) “Group Cohesiveness.” This section describes forces in the charismatic group that wrap it in a “social cocoon.” (Is this “social cocoon” unique to cults, though?) This section also provides interesting testimonials from members of various cults.  Students can begin to understand their perspective rather than dismiss it out of hand. (Also an interesting exercise in how testimonials are used to persuade.) Questions for discussion and writing might include: 1) From Gallanter, glean and briefly explain some of the ways in which cults foster “group cohesiveness.” 2) In the excerpts you read for today, Gallanter chronicles some of the bizarre behaviors and beliefs of the members of Baba’s Family and the Divine Light mission.  In a paragraph or two, explain these beliefs and behaviors from the point of view of a cult member. Consider from a member's perspective why the cult might be inviting, the beliefs might “make sense,” the guru might seem divinely inspired, and the activities within the cult might not seem excessive from a different point of view. The one caveat I’d give at this point is the danger that students, having put aside their initial resistance to and/ or awe of cults, will start to see any organization as a cult.  This analogy might get them thinking critically about groups to which they themselves belong, which perhaps organize themselves as cults do. What, then, makes cults different? (Degree?) Day 2: Competing Belief Systems Read: Gallanter, 34-45 “Shared Beliefs.” This reading will get them talking about “conflicting belief systems” and the moral implications of privileging one set of beliefs over another.  It will also prepare them for the essay, in which they will have to account for how their own beliefs impinged on their writing. Questions for discussion and writing might include: Gallanter discusses "conflict between belief systems" (41) and remarks on "how difficult it is to stand apart from one's own beliefs" in assessing the beliefs of charismatic groups.  Do you think it possible to assess another's belief systems from a standpoint of complete objectivity? What would Robbins say (“Balance and Fairness in the Study of Alternative Religions”)?  If or when should one belief system be privileged over another? Day 3 Read:  Aum Shinrikyo web page (famous for the 1995 sarin attacks in Japan). You might also choose any cult on which a student isn’t working in his or her paper.  We worked with Aum here because we were reading Robert Jay Lifton’s book, Destroying the World to Save It, which studies the Aum cult in Japan.  Informally studying a particular cult’s materials as a class will give the students some guidance as they craft their own essays about their own cults (see essay assignment). Questions for discussion and writing might include: Imagine yourself as a potential convert to Aum. What about the group's philosophy and teachings would you find sufficiently appealing as to inspire your initiation? Day 4 Workshop paper in class. The paper is due somewhat late in the unit, but since the speech builds on the paper, the background preparation helps for both. Week 4 (Preparation for Speech)  (N.B. This week culminates with a discussion of The Apostle, a low-impact exercise that will help students with their speeches while giving them a break from reading while they are writing them.  The way this unit is paced, you’ll need to schedule the movie as an outside showing during week 3 or early in week 4. My students really liked this movie and it generated much discussion, so I highly recommend it.) Day 1: Conversion and Consumerism Read: Gallanter-“Shared Beliefs” (46-59) and Malcolm Gladwell,“The Science of Shopping” This set of readings will give the students an idea the conversion tactics cults deploy as well as the chance to juxtapose these with more familiar forms of persuasion used in advertising. In class, we played a game in which they role-played the 4 different means of attracting members (Subterfuge, Seekers, Identifying and Opposition) and it was a great success. The Gladwell piece discusses how the use of non-verbal persuasion tactics (such as space, lay-out and the ever-famous “butt-brush” stratagem) converts a “browser” into “buyers.” The article also discusses insidious ways in which vendors research their potential buyers to cater to their likes.  This article fleshes out the mini-unit on consumerism (see ads and scenarios activities). Daily consumerism provides a nice reference point to the study of cult conversion tactics and show the students that they are already exposed to huge doses of carefully researched “brain-washing” all of the time. Questions for discussion and writing might include: In "Shared Beliefs in the Unification Church" (45-59) Gallanter outlines four strategies to promote "Conversion and Belief." List and define these (briefly.) Which do you think "your" cult (the one with which you've been working) uses? How? (These questions about the Gallanter reading will get the students “warmed up” for the ads activity.) Day 2 Ads activity (whole period). This activity was a huge success. It gave the students practice with using ethos, logos and pathos and identifying these appeals in each other’s “ads.” Day 3: Religious Conversion in Action View: The movie The Apostle. The character "Sonny" uses some high drama and slick rhetoric to lure converts. Your particular speaking performance might be different, depending upon the cult and your purpose, but his model might inspire you. Questions for discussion and writing might include: 1)    Please provide three pieces of evidence from the movie The Apostle to support the following claims: Sonny was a self-conscious fraud. Sonny was a divinely-inspired "man of God." 2)    What made Sonny's recruitment and conversion campaign so successful? Consider this question with your own speeches in mind.  What about his message (its substance and his word choices) and his delivery were appealing? 3) Sell your audience In-class exercise: Scenarios. Day 4 Workshop speeches Week 5 The speech assignment is relatively short (3 minutes minimum).  So it could take as little as 2 50-minute periods, but I’m thinking 3 periods tops (allowing time for you to take notes on each speech or have discussions about them.)

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