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Manipulation: Methods employed by Cult and Religious Leaders to Exploit Followers
This paper critically examines the methods employed by various religious figures, psychics, and cult leaders to manipulate and exploit their followers for personal gain. It explores both the vulnerabilities and desires of followers that make individuals susceptible to manipulation, as well as the techniques employed by leaders and figureheads that allow them to exert control and influence over their followers. Using specific references to the films Kumare, An Honest Liar, as well as the life of cult leader Jim Jones, this paper investigates the tactics used, including deception, false narratives, myth, ritual, isolation, confirmation bias, social proof, love-bombing, and the halo effect to win over and undermine followers\u27 autonomy and critical thinking. By providing examples of how these techniques are employed and the implications they have, I intend to make individuals cognizant of potential dangers with the hope that we as a society can work to identify and prevent such manipulation as it occurs in the future
Exploring the Stereotypes of Gender and Sexuality in Ballet and its Impact on the Dance Community
Ballet has been deemed a feminine sport for hundreds of years. The famous words of choreographer George Balanchine, “Ballet is Woman,” remind us of this. While some may see classical ballet as a feminized birthplace of dance for queer men and women, the art form as a whole denies more flexible roles of masculinity. For men, the majority of roles are limited to strong princes, played by cis-gender men who fit the model of hegemonic masculinity. Dance is not exempt from oppression with intersectionality between dancers. An intersectional approach is imperative for understanding the exclusion dancers face, by challenging these notions we can unite the community
On The Verge of Brilliance: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Susan Glaspell and Elena Ferrante
In this paper, I discuss how for Susan Glaspell and Elena Ferrante, violence is how their female characters respond to attempted entrapment in a cage when they are offered no escape. Susan Glaspell’s plays “Trifles” and “The Verge” in comparison to Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet shows how women have had oppressive male forces acting upon them for decades. At times when feminists were campaigning for other issues, Glaspell and Ferrante advocated for proper divorce laws by showing the dark side of marriage through the physical and emotional abuse their brilliant female leads undergo alongside the female character’s resulting violence