|
Harm and New Religious Movements (NRMs):
Some Notes on a Sociological Perspective
Eileen Barker, Ph.D.
London School of Economics
Abstract
This article relates the methodology of sociology to the question of harm in new
religious movements (NRMs). It describes the kinds of questions sociologists of
religion are likely to ask, the methods they use to study NRMs, and the
characteristics of NRMs that may predispose them toward situations in which harm
might ensue. It is because sociologists are as concerned as any other citizens
about the consequences of human actions that they are anxious to develop and use
the most reliable means they can for investigating and trying to understand the
processes that can lead to individuals, families, and/or society being subjected
to harm.
This material was originally prepared for a presentation at AFF’s annual
conference, June 14-15, 2002, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Orlando (FL) Airport.
Full text available through
ICSA E-Library.
|
