Dyadic Intimacy and Social Control in Three Cult Movements
A common feature of certain highly controversial new religions (Unification Church, Hare Krishna, Children of God/Family of Love) is the prohibition against exclusive dyadic relations. Some related studies suggest that this prohibition helps eliminate competition for members' loyalties, thus pe...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
1986
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| In: |
Sociological analysis
Year: 1986, Volume: 47, Issue: 2, Pages: 137-150 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | A common feature of certain highly controversial new religions (Unification Church, Hare Krishna, Children of God/Family of Love) is the prohibition against exclusive dyadic relations. Some related studies suggest that this prohibition helps eliminate competition for members' loyalties, thus perpetuating commitment and diminishing the likelihood of dyadic withdrawal. However, no direct evidence for dyadic defection has yet been adduced. This study explores the dyadic intimacy hypothesis using data from intensive, in-depth interviews with voluntary defectors (N=45) and current members (N=45) of the three groups mentioned above. It was found that every case involving a defector who was part of a dyad resulted in the disaffiliation of the defector's spouse or mate as well. In several instances, the spouses or mates of defectors reported no personal dissatisfaction or disillusionment with the movement but left only in order to remain with their dyadic partner. In contrast, there were no cases of permanent dyadic splits among members. Substantive data from the interviews are examined, implications of findings are discussed, and suggestions for further research are made. |
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| ISSN: | 2325-7873 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3711458 |