How Cults Use Language to Control | Otherwords

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If there's one thing cult leaders do, it's talk. A LOT. Language is an integral part of how cults keep their members bonded, isolated and obedient.

Otherwords is a PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be human.

Host: Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D.
Creator/Director: Andrew Matthews & Katie Graham
Writer: Andrew Matthews
Producer: Katie Graham
Editor/Animation: Andrew Matthews
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Fact Checker: Yvonne McGreevy

Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell

Stock Images from Shutterstock
Music from APM Music
Otherwords is a production of Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
© 2024 PBS. All rights reserved.

sources:
"Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism" by Amanda Montell. 2021.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/leaders-talk-more-babble-hypothesis/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1048984320300369?via%3Dihub
https://oxfordre.com/communication/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-436
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/language-socialization-across-cultures/EFFEC1798E06EDF3C89940150139E28F#history
https://medium.com/@markgregorski/how-you-can-persuade-control-and-exploit-people-with-carefully-chosen-words-73852b986abd
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/books-and-art/cultish-amanda-montell-cult-language-a2738-20220213-lfrm
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1348722.pdf
https://www.vox.com/culture/24062406/tiktok-trends-slang-terms-coining
https://conceptbureau.com/21-the-secret-language-of-cult-brands/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkbyEHja410
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/06/review-cultish-amanda-montell-language-fanaticism/619165/
https://leading.business.columbia.edu/main-leadership/leadership/jargon-language-status
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597820303666
https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html