Cults and Cultural Change

Abstract

During the latter half of the Twentieth Century, North America saw an upsurge in the popularity of cults and new religious movements, such as Scientology, the Unification Church and Wicca.Using a sociological lens, this paper will examine the changes in North American value systems amongst particular demographics during the 1960s and 70s and will provide explanations for the popularity of various types of emergent cults amongst said demographics. The phenomenon of cult involvement was analyzed through the context of sociological models including Emile Durkheim’s concept of 'anomie.' It is then shown how cult activity is a by-product of the cultural turmoil and clash of value systems (i.e. the ‘counter culture’) amongst the population, as well as the relegation of major social institutions (such as institutionalized religion and the church) into more peripheral roles, and the ensuing need amongst certain groups for a sense of social belonging which could not be met by such institutions. This paper concludes that the rise of new religious movements during the late Twentieth Century was a response to feelings of normlessness and identity conflict amongst younger generation following the age of the counter culture.