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Post-Involvement Difficulties Experienced by Former Members of Charismatic Groups

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Abstract

Limited qualitative studies have been conducted with former members of charismatic groups, especially in Australia. The majority of studies with former members have been conducted by psychologists through quantitative methodologies and clinical case studies. Qualitative studies that explore the phenomenon of charismatic group involvement have predominantly been carried out by sociologists, and these focus on current members of such groups. Sociologists and psychologists have drawn seemingly contradictory conclusions from their study. This study aims to narrow the gap by investigating adjustment to life after involvement with a charismatic group as experienced by former members of such groups through the use of qualitative methods. Seven participants from four different groups were recruited via purposive sampling and modified snowball sampling. A qualitative methodology informed by phenomenology was chosen. In-depth interviews were used to explore the participants’ accounts of adjusting to life after involvement. The findings of this study suggest that the experiences of former members of charismatic groups may be comparable to others who have experienced extreme transitions and adjustments or relationships where significant power differentials exist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Science and Humanities, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia

    Dominiek D. Coates

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  1. Dominiek D. Coates
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Correspondence to Dominiek D. Coates.

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Dominiek Coates has significant experience in both counselling and research. As a counsellor, she has predominantly worked in trauma and women’s health; and currently works as the research manager at ASCA: Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse. As a researcher, she has worked on a number of projects with different universities, including UNSW, the University of Sydney, and the University of Newcastle.

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Coates, D.D. Post-Involvement Difficulties Experienced by Former Members of Charismatic Groups. J Relig Health 49, 296–310 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-009-9251-0

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