Have you ever been apart of something that made you feel like you belong? Really belong? Within the context of communities and cults, Professor Hohenzy is exploring the way that people are drawn to being apart of something bigger than themselves. WRD 360: Topics in Rhetoric: Cults & Rhetoric of Community tackles the juxtaposition between finding peace and losing autonomy in the process of acceptance. Read on to discover why this new course is a great way to understand rhetorical manipulation and the power of cults.
What are your goals for this course and what do you hope students learn?
A ten-week course on cults, lived civics, and the social contract can’t be exhaustive, but hopefully it can be illuminating. The goal of this interdisciplinary class (it’s cross listed with LSP 275: Lived Civics, the Social Contract, and Public Life) is to explore how communities with devoted followings can blur the line between empowerment and manipulation. We’ll examine how cult language and tactics offer insight into the civic questions that shape our public life and discourse: the tension between individual freedom and collective obligation, the role of authority, and the responsibilities that come with belonging.
People are drawn to these communities because we all want to belong and feel like we matter. They offer a sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves, which can be really appealing. By paying attention to how cults use language and ritual to create boundaries, we can learn how to build communities that are meaningful and supportive without tipping into control or manipulation. My hope is that students leave the course not only able to spot rhetorical manipulation in the wild, but also aware of the deep human desires that make us susceptible to it.
What major projects or assignments can students expect in this course?
Assignments and activities invite students to explore both established cults and the ways cultish language shows up in everyday life. One project focuses on a product, brand, or celebrity with a devoted “cult following,” analyzing what drives fans’ loyalty. Another project has students collaborating on a multimodal case study of a cult group of their choice, examining how it reflects or resists broader social contracts. Along the way, students will be invited to connect our conversations to their own experiences in their various communities as part of our lived civics approach.
What about cults and rhetorics of community is most intriguing to you? Why do you think people are drawn to shaping their identity in this way?
My fascination with cults began with the so-called “good ones.” The hippies, health nuts, revolutionaries, and back-to-the-landers who tried to build new ways of living. From mystical groups touting vegetarian diets, to countercultural communes, and extreme yoga and meditation devotees, so many of these groups set out to create something better and instead ended up revealing how fragile attempts at utopia can be. Of course, some sects are genuinely harmful and socially destructive, which also makes them intriguing and important to study. The same rhetorical tools that help a community thrive—shared language, compelling stories, and rituals of inclusion—can just as easily slide into systems of control.
I think part of what makes cults so fascinating is that we all secretly want to know: could it happen to me? The desire to belong, to find purpose, and to be part of something larger makes us all susceptible to persuasive narratives and charismatic leadership. Cultish language is not limited to extreme groups. It pervades wellness movements, brand fandoms, online communities, and social media circles. Studying cults is ultimately a way of studying ourselves and tracing the ways that rhetoric shapes identity and builds community.
Anything else about the course that hasn’t already been mentioned?
Some of the readings and discussions in this course can get into dark and difficult territory. Such content is, unfortunately, unavoidable when studying cults. In our conversations, we’ll aim to approach these issues with sensitivity and care and create a space that’s respectful of varying comfort levels.
Conclusion
Registration is open, so sign up for WRD 360 with Professor Hohenzy today!
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