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A Collective of Women
Abstract
This article explores the invisible dynamics of control and submission in a
closed group with which the authors were affiliated for many years. Relying on
Herman’s (1992) model of psychological captivity, the article illustrates the
psychological dynamics of the “courtship” of recruits and the covert coercive
control through which individual identity is dismantled and the worldview of the
group’s leader introduced. Three methods of control are discussed: fear
induction, destruction of autonomy, and breaking of personality. The last part
of the article explores how cultural issues related to sexism enhance the power
of high-demand groups.
Full text available through
ICSA E-Library.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally
published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1997, Volume 14, Number 1, pages 58-84.
Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from
that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic
information in papers that you may write. |
