International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010 107
teoria con la quale le persone interpretano e
danno senso alle proprie esperienze attraverso
l’uso di schemi narrativi. Il fallimento nel
costruire una narrazione autobiografica coerente
può portare la persona a prendere in prestito
“uno schema narrativo già pronto” nell’ambiente
settario. Come risultato, alcune esperienze di
vite difficili sono prontamente incorporate in
una storia logica con un finale felice, costruita
sulla base che “la setta li ha liberati”. Le
“edizioni esterne” (cioè non interne, non basate
sulla riflessione personale o sui processi
terapeutici) dei “discorsi sull’io” portano costi
psichici significativi che presuppongono
limitazioni sulla possibilità di dialogo interno,
rigidità nell’interpretazione di esperienze
complesse, e l’esclusione di esperienze che
contraddicono “il racconto protagonista”
dell’autonarrazione. Lo scopo di questo articolo
è un tentativo di provvedere ad una spiegazione
dei processi con i quali si forma l’identità dei
membri di setta, usando la nozione di categorie
della psicologia narrativa come riferimento.
Français
L’aspect narratif de l’identité des membres de
cultes.
Dariusz Kuncewicz, Ph.D.
École de Varsovie des sciences sociales et
humaines
Cet article explique le processus par lequel
l’identité d’un membre de culte est formée, en
utilisant comme cadre de référence les
catégories notionnelles de la psychologie
narrative. Le paradigme narratif est fondé sur la
théorie selon laquelle les individus interprètent
et donnent un sens à leur vécu au travers de
schèmes narratifs. L’incapacité de construire une
narration autobiographique cohérente peut
pousser la personne à emprunter une histoire
« prête à narrer » d’un culte. Ainsi, certaines
expériences de vie difficiles sont rapidement
incorporées dans une narration logique, au
dénouement heureux, sur le thème de la
libération intérieure par le culte. Les coûts
psychiques de versions externes (empruntées) de
la narration personnelle sont significatifs et
incluent une restriction des possibilités de
dialogue interne, une rigidité dans
l’interprétation d’expériences vécues complexes,
et l’exclusion du champ de conscience
d’expériences qui entrent en contradiction avec
la version externe de la narration personnelle.
Judicial and Political Treatment of
Coercive Persuasion Dynamics: The
Erroneously called “Sects” or
“Destructive Sets”
Ferran Alonso, M.A., Ph.D Candidate
University of Granada
English
When speaking of sects, destructive sects,
sectarianism or if one or another individual
exhibits sectarian behavior or attitude, everyone
seems to share a concept or idea of what
sectarianism is. The reality, however, is very
different since the use of the word(s) can bring
forth many meanings and misunderstandings.
The heterogeneous and complex phenomenon
called 'sectarianism' from the word that defines
it 'secta' (as well as its compound variants:
destructive sect, totalitarian sect, coercive sect)
causes a high level of confusion. With semantic
ambiguity we traditionally add a negative
interpretation of the term, always associated
with religion and with pejorative connotations of
persecution and marginality. In this sense, it is
almost initially impossible to define or identify
its different meanings without overlapping them.
This article, once conceptually clear of the
phenomenon, reviews the illegal behavior
traditionally associated with it as well as the
rights and liberties that legally protect it as put
forth by the European and American judicial
systems. The differential characteristics of these
types of groups or associations is the systemic
practice and abusive techniques that void and
diminish the volitional capacity, consequently
weakening the fundamental rights of the
individual. This differential characteristic does
not impede, collaterally and simultaneously, the
potential criminal use of mind altering practices
or personality control on individuals.
A new series of judicial responsibilities have
come into play as a result of the penal
teoria con la quale le persone interpretano e
danno senso alle proprie esperienze attraverso
l’uso di schemi narrativi. Il fallimento nel
costruire una narrazione autobiografica coerente
può portare la persona a prendere in prestito
“uno schema narrativo già pronto” nell’ambiente
settario. Come risultato, alcune esperienze di
vite difficili sono prontamente incorporate in
una storia logica con un finale felice, costruita
sulla base che “la setta li ha liberati”. Le
“edizioni esterne” (cioè non interne, non basate
sulla riflessione personale o sui processi
terapeutici) dei “discorsi sull’io” portano costi
psichici significativi che presuppongono
limitazioni sulla possibilità di dialogo interno,
rigidità nell’interpretazione di esperienze
complesse, e l’esclusione di esperienze che
contraddicono “il racconto protagonista”
dell’autonarrazione. Lo scopo di questo articolo
è un tentativo di provvedere ad una spiegazione
dei processi con i quali si forma l’identità dei
membri di setta, usando la nozione di categorie
della psicologia narrativa come riferimento.
Français
L’aspect narratif de l’identité des membres de
cultes.
Dariusz Kuncewicz, Ph.D.
École de Varsovie des sciences sociales et
humaines
Cet article explique le processus par lequel
l’identité d’un membre de culte est formée, en
utilisant comme cadre de référence les
catégories notionnelles de la psychologie
narrative. Le paradigme narratif est fondé sur la
théorie selon laquelle les individus interprètent
et donnent un sens à leur vécu au travers de
schèmes narratifs. L’incapacité de construire une
narration autobiographique cohérente peut
pousser la personne à emprunter une histoire
« prête à narrer » d’un culte. Ainsi, certaines
expériences de vie difficiles sont rapidement
incorporées dans une narration logique, au
dénouement heureux, sur le thème de la
libération intérieure par le culte. Les coûts
psychiques de versions externes (empruntées) de
la narration personnelle sont significatifs et
incluent une restriction des possibilités de
dialogue interne, une rigidité dans
l’interprétation d’expériences vécues complexes,
et l’exclusion du champ de conscience
d’expériences qui entrent en contradiction avec
la version externe de la narration personnelle.
Judicial and Political Treatment of
Coercive Persuasion Dynamics: The
Erroneously called “Sects” or
“Destructive Sets”
Ferran Alonso, M.A., Ph.D Candidate
University of Granada
English
When speaking of sects, destructive sects,
sectarianism or if one or another individual
exhibits sectarian behavior or attitude, everyone
seems to share a concept or idea of what
sectarianism is. The reality, however, is very
different since the use of the word(s) can bring
forth many meanings and misunderstandings.
The heterogeneous and complex phenomenon
called 'sectarianism' from the word that defines
it 'secta' (as well as its compound variants:
destructive sect, totalitarian sect, coercive sect)
causes a high level of confusion. With semantic
ambiguity we traditionally add a negative
interpretation of the term, always associated
with religion and with pejorative connotations of
persecution and marginality. In this sense, it is
almost initially impossible to define or identify
its different meanings without overlapping them.
This article, once conceptually clear of the
phenomenon, reviews the illegal behavior
traditionally associated with it as well as the
rights and liberties that legally protect it as put
forth by the European and American judicial
systems. The differential characteristics of these
types of groups or associations is the systemic
practice and abusive techniques that void and
diminish the volitional capacity, consequently
weakening the fundamental rights of the
individual. This differential characteristic does
not impede, collaterally and simultaneously, the
potential criminal use of mind altering practices
or personality control on individuals.
A new series of judicial responsibilities have
come into play as a result of the penal
