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In Reply to: Re: Youth, Love and Violence posted by Yvonne on August 01, 2005 at 06:00:04:
I have purposely avoided discussions of brainwashing so far. That term is used so loosely, and sometimes frivolously, in popular culture today that it means different things to different people. I don't feel I have read enough of the research yet to have a good grasp of the subject, especially as it pertains to myself. I've read enough, though, to know that the schism amongst academics on this issue is one of the greatest in academia. To see how acrimonious the rift is check out the book "Misunderstanding Cults: searching for objectivity in a controversial field" edited by Banjamin Zablocki and Thomas Robbins. The editors assemble articles from scholars who they considered to be the most objective in the field. Despite that apparent objectivity, on the issue of brainwashing there is a very clear, sharp division.
When I read that book last year I remember having a very visceral reaction to some of the articles, especially those that seemed to be completely dismissive of my experiences. However, I'm just not familiar enough with this field of study yet to adequately discuss it. I realize this doesn't satisfy your desire for a discussion on brainwashing, but perhaps I'll revisit this with you once I've read and processed more.
