Sociology Paper - Fringe Organisations
“Assess the view that cults and sects are only fringe organisations and are inevitably short lived and are of little influence in contemporary society”
A fringe organisation is considered to be an organisation set on the edge of modern society which lacks much or any influence. This essay will attempt to examine whether sects and cults are fringe organisations, and discuss the factors contributing to this. These results will also be compared with other organisations, such as churches and denominations.
Sects are organisations formed of followers who accept and practice a particular religious belief. They are exclusive organisations, meaning you must be chosen and accepted by officials before becoming an official member. Sects generally lack a professional hierarchy, but may have a charismatic leader. They claim to hold a monopoly of the truth and expect high levels of commitment from members. The relationship with the state is against, and they reject the norms and values of everyday society, they put barriers between themselves and the world outside the sect to establish a clear distinction between members and non-members. Sects are also critical of mainstream religions. Sects often appeal to people as they offer an alternate way of life, taking people from an impersonal society into a supportive community, most recruit from the lonely, deprived and the ethnic minorities.
An example of a sect is Heaven’s Gate, which combines elements of Christianity with unusual beliefs about the nature of UFOs. The sect believes that about 2000 years ago, a group of extra-terrestrials came to earth from the Kingdom of Heaven. One of them “Do” was given instructions be “Ti”, referred to as the “Heavenly Father”. Do left his body behind, transported to earth in a space ship and incarnated in a human body of Jesus Christ. In the beginning of the 1920’s it was said that a second group of extra-terrestrials returned to earth, with Do being the captain of this expedition, and Ti
A fringe organisation is considered to be an organisation set on the edge of modern society which lacks much or any influence. This essay will attempt to examine whether sects and cults are fringe organisations, and discuss the factors contributing to this. These results will also be compared with other organisations, such as churches and denominations.
Sects are organisations formed of followers who accept and practice a particular religious belief. They are exclusive organisations, meaning you must be chosen and accepted by officials before becoming an official member. Sects generally lack a professional hierarchy, but may have a charismatic leader. They claim to hold a monopoly of the truth and expect high levels of commitment from members. The relationship with the state is against, and they reject the norms and values of everyday society, they put barriers between themselves and the world outside the sect to establish a clear distinction between members and non-members. Sects are also critical of mainstream religions. Sects often appeal to people as they offer an alternate way of life, taking people from an impersonal society into a supportive community, most recruit from the lonely, deprived and the ethnic minorities.
An example of a sect is Heaven’s Gate, which combines elements of Christianity with unusual beliefs about the nature of UFOs. The sect believes that about 2000 years ago, a group of extra-terrestrials came to earth from the Kingdom of Heaven. One of them “Do” was given instructions be “Ti”, referred to as the “Heavenly Father”. Do left his body behind, transported to earth in a space ship and incarnated in a human body of Jesus Christ. In the beginning of the 1920’s it was said that a second group of extra-terrestrials returned to earth, with Do being the captain of this expedition, and Ti