Authors: Mike Kropveld Executive Director Info-Cult Marie-Andrée Pelland Doctoral Student in Criminology Université de Montréal Translated by: Natasha DeCruz Gwendolyn Schulman Linguistic Landscapes Cover Design by: Philippe Lamoureux This book was made possible through the financial support of the Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et de l'Immigration. However, the opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. The translation from the French version (Le phénomène des sectes: L’étude du fonctionnement des groupes ©2003) into English was made possible through the financial support of Canadian Heritage. ©Info-Cult 2006 ISBN: 2-9808258-1-6 The Cult Phenomenon: How Groups Function ii Contents Contents ....................................................................................................................... ii Preface .......................................................................................................................viii Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: History of Info-Cult.......................................................................................3 Cult Project................................................................................................................3 Description.............................................................................................................3 Cult Project’s objectives.........................................................................................4 Initial understanding of the cult phenomenon ........................................................4 Vocabulary .........................................................................................................4 Deprogramming .................................................................................................5 Nature of the information available on the cult phenomenon .............................6 Services offered.....................................................................................................6 Prevention and awareness programs.................................................................6 Documentation centre ........................................................................................6 Telephone service..............................................................................................6 Active listening and support to families and ex-members...................................7 Employees and volunteers.................................................................................7 Cult Project’s clientele ...........................................................................................7 Info-Cult.....................................................................................................................8 Transition from Cult Project to Info-Cult.................................................................8 Understanding of the cult phenomenon in the 1990s.............................................9 Special activities and projects organized by Info-Cult in the 1990s .....................10 Info-Cult services .................................................................................................11 Centre’s clientele .................................................................................................11 Info-Cult and its contacts .....................................................................................11 Contact with government and non-profit organizations ....................................11 Contacts with the international community.......................................................11 Financing .............................................................................................................12 Info-Cult and the choice of vocabulary.................................................................12 Assessment of the 1990s.....................................................................................13 Info-Cult in the 21st century: Current views .........................................................13 Chapter 2: The Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms..............................15 The goal of adopting the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms............15 The Charter’s guiding principles ..........................................................................15 Who is protected under the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms?..16 Intrinsic rights and freedoms................................................................................16 Exercising fundamental rights..............................................................................17 Right to equality ...................................................................................................17 Political rights.......................................................................................................18 Judicial rights.......................................................................................................18 Economic and social rights ..................................................................................19 The Charter is a living text! The example of religious freedoms ..........................20 The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse................21 Who can file a complaint with the Commission?..................................................22 Children and groups ............................................................................................22 iii Contents Chapter 3: How groups function..................................................................................24 Internal functioning ..................................................................................................24 Norms ..................................................................................................................24 Definition of a norm..............................................................................................24 The role of norms in a group ............................................................................25 How group norms affect individuals .....................................................................26 Adapting to the group: from socialization to conformism .....................................26 Conformism......................................................................................................28 Avoiding conflict through acquiescence ...........................................................28 Internalization...................................................................................................29 Identification .....................................................................................................29 Violating norms ....................................................................................................29 Sanctions.............................................................................................................29 The importance of deviant or nonconformist members........................................30 Status ..................................................................................................................31 Evaluating the power of individuals in a group.....................................................31 Members and their personalities..........................................................................32 Leadership and the leader ...................................................................................33 The leader’s personality ...................................................................................34 Group communication..........................................................................................35 The decision-making process in a group .............................................................35 Mistakes in decision-making................................................................................36 Reasons for becoming a member of a group.......................................................37 Becoming a member to satisfy a need .............................................................38 Becoming a member for reasons of similarity, reciprocity or social status .......39 Similarity .......................................................................................................39 Reciprocity....................................................................................................39 Social status .................................................................................................40 Proximity.......................................................................................................40 Interpersonal relationships in a group ..............................................................40 Leader-follower relationship.................................................................................40 Relationship with a good guru ..........................................................................40 The condescending guru..................................................................................40 The spiritual abuser..........................................................................................41 The swindler guru.............................................................................................41 Interdependent relationship..............................................................................41