Cultic Studies

One topic of perennial concern in the cultic-studies field is how to help people leave groups that are potentially harmful. From deprogramming in the 1970s—which involved physical confinement and sometimes force—to the exit counseling that persists today, the process of influencing a person to abandon a group affiliation is controversial. In this chapter, we suggest a different way of looking at the problem of group involvement—one that assumes mutual influence among parties and does not hold exiting the group as a primary objective. We propose that when people are able to recognize each other's point of view and engage productively from an empowered and empowering stance, relationships can be transformed in the context of shared goals. When participants take a communicative approach to resolving conflict, decisions that need to be made—about child rearing, visitation, group affiliation, and education, for example— are embedded in a relational framework between mutually respectful parties. Of course, this notion of mutually respectful parties can be an idealistic aspiration. Groups exist that categorically declare outsiders, or those antagonistic toward their system of belief, to be unworthy, unenlightened, suppressive, antisocial, and heathen. These are pejorative expressions of contempt or distaste. They are not respectful, nor even polite. Outsiders may use derogatory terms with equal disdain, pronouncing adherents to be fanatical extremists or misguided fools. " How could anyone believe anything so stupid? " Thus, thoughtful effort—and significant skill—is required to bring the diverse perspectives of various parties into some workable alignment. Why is workable alignment important? Is it possible? In some cases, it is not. Relationships are cut off; people are disconnected. Adversarial patterns are established and no one is willing to back down. Perhaps no reasonable hope exists for positive interaction of any kind, much less reconciliation. However, in many cases, relationships endure and people— especially those who share family bonds—continue to interact with one another. And in the hearts of many who struggle with the implications of vastly different worldviews, hope remains that relationships can be restored, renewed, and reconstructed with new assumptions, new boundaries, and new ways of being. In these cases, a facilitated process can help people to stop harmful interactions, practice positive interactions, engage productively, and discover common ground. Toward that end, we propose a framework for understanding this relational and developmental approach for resolving conflict. Mental health professionals, as part of a therapeutic alliance, are in a unique position to support clients as they seek ways to reduce stress and resolve important issues in their day-today lives. Conflict among family members is a common source of stress that contributes to an array of adverse outcomes. Thus, a key aim of this chapter is to use case study examples to present information about conflict resolution to clinicians, so they are better able to serve their clients effectively. By offering people a variety of resources— including the possibility of a conflict-resolution process when appropriate—therapists can guide action that may gradually heal the deep rifts that are likely to arise when some family members are involved in a high-demand group and others are not. Chapter Overview In the content that follows, we provide a brief explanation of the principles, goals, and methods that are foundational to established strategies for resolving conflict. We discuss distinct approaches for mediating conflict in a variety of settings, including legal systems,

The site of Shavei Zion is an enigmatic deposit of hundreds of figurines and ceramic vessels found on the sunken kurkar ridge off the coast of the western Galilee. Despite its importance to the understanding of both maritime activities and cultic practices, the site has never been fully published. Only a part of the figurine assemblage has been analysed in the past, and the associated ceramic evidence has only been presented in limited preliminary reports. This article presents for the first time the evaluation of the entire ceramic assemblage extracted from the Shavei Zion underwater site, as part of a comprehensive publication project.