by Cicatrix 8 Replies latest jw friends
Hello All,
I'm considering doing a speech on high control groups for my communications class. I have five minutes, so was wondering what angle might be the most appropriate to reach my audience (a mixture of young people just out of high school and people in their mid thirties and forties who are training for career changes).I can't use any specific groups as an example.
Thanks
Cicatrix
How about the 'dangers' of control groups since you can't cite specific groups? No doubt,some in your audience have aspirations to be controllers or being a part of control groups.
Guest 77
Well, 5 minutes is not a lot of time, for sure, but perhaps you might focus on one of the following characteristics of high control groups:
Commitment: willingness to sacrifice status, possessions, safety, even life itself, for the cause; a total response to the total demand; group solidarity; social identification of individual goals with group goals;
Controls: willingness to obey the commands of leadership without question; willingness to suffer sanctions for infraction rather than leave the group;
Communication: eagerness to share one's experience with others; refusal to be silenced; internal communication stylized and highly symbolic; a cryptic language;
Goals: absolutism; closed system of meaning and value which explains everything; uncritical and unreflective attachment to a single set of values;
Conformity: intolerance of deviance or dissent; exclusion of outcasts; group confessions or criticism; separatism;
(From Why Conservative Churches Are Growing, Dean M. Kelley, Harper & Row Publishers, 1972)
Craig
Since it is a class in communications, perhaps you could focus on how high control groups use language and other signals to control group behaviour. First of all there are certain "in" words and certain bad words. This helps the members recognize who is in the group and who is not. It also helps members of the group remain cohesive. Also, the use of special language makes for more group conformity. Another use of an inbred language is to send signals regarding anothers behavior. It allows the sender to let the receiver know that they need to get in line and conform. Other communication signals are style of dress and modes of overt behaviour. These too, bring signals of what is and is not acceptable, and furthers the conformity within the group. Well, those are my thoughts off the top of my head.
I am kinda new here. Seeing your topic reminds me of a speech that I did. When I was in college I also had a speech class. I had about 10 minutes for the speech. I started out my speech with the magazines. I held up the Watchtower and Awake for all to see and said, "How many of you here have ever seen these magazines?", then I went on to say, for the next few minutes I would like to share how this organization destoyed my family, my childhood and adult life. I hope I profoundly touched someone in that class. Afterward, we were graded on this and I made a high A, not to mention, the response from my classmates was astounding. I think you should go for it. They speak out and so should we. I think that was the ice breaker for me, after that I was able to talk more openly about this to a lot of people. Good luck, you have experienced this and I think you should definately share your experience.
Smokey
Smokey, wow! That sure was a high impact speech you gave. If the person with the present assignment can't do that, they might mention that they used to be part of a high control group and could talk to anyone who wants to know about the experience after class.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Onacruse-I thought about doing general characteristics using the info from this board.I know when I was on my way out, seeing them really helped me understand that I did need to leave.But I thought that five minutes was too short a time to cover it all.
Larc-I really like your suggestion to relate it to the language aspect.Besides the special language making the group cohesive, I've also noticed that since I've left, certain key words that remind me of events while I was still in, will set me off and make me combative. And Minimus, I think it was, was talking about "kingdom melodies" still popping into her head.Also, there are those ominous words, apostate, disfellowshipped, dissassociated.Think of all the harm they've done to families!
Smokey-I'm not allowed to mention the name of a specific group, or I probably would. However, I suspect that one of the guys in my class might be studying with a witness because of some things he said(he doesn't know I'm an ex-witness), so I considered not identifying the group just to keep him from tuning out. Also, there are a lot of other high control groups that people should be aware of.I'm glad, though that you spoke out and that it went so well for you! It's nice to know that in some places true freedom of speech still exists (just not in my small college, although this is being challenged regularly by students--myself included). I would definitely let my classmates know that the speech was based on personal experience and offer to talk to them after class about it. We are even allowed to give printed info to anyone who asks for it- we just can't pass it out to the entire class (that's kind of ironic, considering the right the witnesses have fought for and won to deliver their message to the door of every house they visit, based on freedom of religion).
When I have lectured about high control groups I go through the criteria citing examples of the group I was in. I don't mention the group until the end. The impact is awesome when they finally find out. You could maybe tell those people who ask you later.
Going along with Larc's suggestions, on several websites for JW's - there has been examples of control used in various ways: Language is a Big Part:
"Do we eat at the table of Jehovah provided by His Faithful & Discreet Slave Class or at the Table of the Demons?"
"Surely, we don't want to be classed with those who sided with Korah? His whole assembly was swallowed up whole by the Earth." (powered by Jehovah.)
"Brother, perhaps that's independent thinking on your part?"
"Of course, you're being led by your conscience. But is it a trained conscience?"
"Of course, you're being led by your trained conscience. But is it trained by Jehovah?"
"A True Follower of Jehovah wouldn't do..............." (insert everything)
"Well, I know that she's not a True Witness." Why not? "Just look how she's dressed!"
There was a great study done (for college) by a guy showing how the JW's use their paintings to present propaganda. He broke it down to shown their bias over the decades. Very interesting.
(((((((((((((smokey))))))))))))))))) Job well done!
waiting
