Subtle Control Methods

by James2300 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  James2300

  There have been a few threads on the subject of whether witnesses are a high control group or a cult. Some of the more overt methods of control have been mentioned, such as direct statements in the watchtower, the practice of disfellowshipping, the power elders have, and so on. The results of these control techniques have also been mentioned; for example, many mention the intimidation, humiliation, fear, and powerlessness they felt either as a witness or while trying to leave. Yet, I think it will be enlightening to look at some of the subtler methods used by the witnesses. These methods are not unique to the witnesses nor wrong in themselves. Yet, in the aggregate and with repeated use over a long period of time they prove very effective. My assumption is that anything that is virtually universal in the witness organization is not accidental, but rather a significant part of reaching the organization's goals.

  I will post examples below as they come to me. Feel free to add any that you may think of.

  Thanks all,

  James
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  James2300

  Windowless Kingdom Halls

  As society blueprints for Kingdom Halls are becoming more commonly used, we can see that the layout of Kingdom Halls is not an accident of local taste, but rather a mandate from headquarters. Supermarkets and casinos commonly use the technique of windowless (and clockless) floor plans to skew the consumers sense of time, hoping that they will stay longer. In Kingdom Halls, that has the effect or reducing outside distractions, improving attention upon the program during the meeting, reducing a sense of how long the meetings are, and controlling the lighting.
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  James2300

  Meetings without breaks

  The only break during a two hour meeting is the song. Witnesses are discouraged from milling about during the song, so it is a break only in the sense that you get to stand. Although, it is thought that the times before and after the meeting are free time for association, that is not the case. Activities crowd out this time, such as hall cleaning (is it really necessary right then and after every meeting?), literature pick-up, rehearsing for parts, various meetings for elders and servants, and so on. There is no absolute reason these activities have to take place at all or right then. In effect, they make an extension of the meeting program, so that really one attends a nearly three hour long meeting.
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  James2300

  Graduated interval recall in the daily text

  I learned about this from a part on Morning Worship at Bethel. As you probably know, the daily texts in Examining the Scriptures are excerpts from recent (the previous year or two) Watchtower articles. What you may not know is that the themes in these articles are repeated at staggered intervals designed to enhance memory. The way this works is that a theme or idea is first mentioned a few times in a week or two, then repeated after increasingly lengthly intervals. This serves to increase memory retention. If you follow the suggestion to read the text every day, you will find it very difficult not to recall very well all of the main points at the end of the year.
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  rebel

  Brothers having to put their jackets on before they go on the platform, act as attendant, carry microphones etc. Even if it is baking hot, they are not allowed to do anything that counts as a 'privilege' without their flaming jackets on! What is that all about?
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  waiting

  Hello James,

  Welcome to our forum (as I'm just reading you for the first time).

  What an interesting subject! I actually read both your posts twice, as I'm a slow learner.

  Subtle maneuvers at control - of both mind & body:

  Having private meetings with people with *all kinds* of problems in the "Back Room." There was a window in that room - but the curtains were kept closed. Also, anytime room was in use - it was locked......which meant that the publisher was locked inside a windowless room with 3 elders.

  Now, seeing that the vast majority of jw's are women - then a decent percentage of time, there is a woman alone back there, in a windowless, locked, room with 3 men. Keep in mind that the woman's already at a disadvantage because she's a second class person as deemed by God.

  The woman has a hard enough time just talking with a man. Then she's got to meet with 3 men. Then she's got to meet with 3 men in a suffocatingly small windowless room. Then the 3 men lock the only door, her only means of escape.......and she knows it.

  Very powerful position those 3 men are in. And the woman knows she's powerless.

  waiting
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  James2300

  Very quick construction

  This is a holdover from the Knorr administration and is dying out. It began with the very fast building of Bethel facilities. Usually quick building is more expensive than building at traditional speeds. The rationale usually given is that of the great expansion of the work and the need for new facilities quickly. However, there is another, less obvious reason. It promoted the illusion that the end was near by building with great urgency. It was a brilliant demonstrative tool. Later, it was expanded to Kingdom Halls. The rationale usually given was that you could only get a couple of hundred people to work for a few days on a site. However, there is also another, less obvious reason. It promoted a spirit of teamwork among the congregation as well as a source of pride. It furthered the illusion that JW's are superior in every way (even construction!) because no "worldly" enterprise could erect a building as such "miraculous" speed.

  Interestingly, the quick build approach has gotten a lot of criticism in recent years. Many Bethel facilities were constructed with very poor planning, numerous preventable flaws, and low quality because of trying to build so quickly. Building quickly is not emphasized as much anymore.
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  PleasureFix

  'privileges', i sussed this one out right from the start.

  Edited by - pleasurefix on 16 December 2002 17:57:6
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  James2300

  Simultaneous programs worldwide and in most languages

  There is not really any practical reason why it should be necessary to have foreign language literature (magazines, especially) released simultaneous to English literature. The real reason is that it enhances several illusions, namely: that there exists great unity worldwide among witnesses, that "new" information is so important that there must be no delay in its dissemination, and that the organization is God-inspired because of the uniqueness and grandiosity of this enterprise.
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  rebel

  The fact that we can't just preach 'The Good News' ourselves - we have to use the literature provided by the society. They say it is there to make it easier for us to study with people and so we don't put over our own feelings and thoughts which might be incorrect. I think it is another means of control - we should be free just to take the Bible with us and leave all the literature behind.