Social implosion
Encyclopedia
In sociology
, a social implosion refers to an event where a subgroup of a larger group suddenly becomes separated from the larger group—the members of the subgroup sever their connections to the larger group (often society as a whole), and their entire social lives become involved in the smaller group. Generally cult
s (in the sociological sense) are formed by social implosions; however most such social implosions are short-lived, only a small minority lasting long enough to become a cult.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, a social implosion refers to an event where a subgroup of a larger group suddenly becomes separated from the larger group—the members of the subgroup sever their connections to the larger group (often society as a whole), and their entire social lives become involved in the smaller group. Generally cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s (in the sociological sense) are formed by social implosions; however most such social implosions are short-lived, only a small minority lasting long enough to become a cult.
See also
- CultsCultsCults is a suburb on the western edge of Aberdeen, Scotland. It lies on the banks of the River Dee and marks the eastern boundary of Royal Deeside.Cults, known for its historic granite housing, sits approximately six miles from the coast of the North Sea...
- The Process Church of The Final JudgmentThe Process Church of The Final JudgmentThe Process, or in full, The Process Church of the Final Judgment, commonly known by non-members as the Process Church, was a religious group that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s, founded by the English couple Mary Anne and Robert DeGrimston...
- Manson Family
- Peoples TemplePeoples TemplePeoples Temple was a religious organization founded in 1955 by Jim Jones that, by the mid-1970s, included over a dozen locations in California including its headquarters in San Francisco...
- Heaven's Gate (religious group)Heaven's Gate (religious group)Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles...