James Richardson (sociologist)

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James T. Richardson, Ph.D. is a sociologist. Richardson considers himself one of the most outspoken critics of "cultic brainwashing" theories. He is notably outspoken on high-profile cases such as Elizabeth Smart and Patty Hearst. He is a scientific critic of the "mind control" theories proposed by Robert Lifton, Margaret Singer, and others.^[1]

[edit] Criticism of Brainwashing

Richardson categorizes brainwashing theories a "pseudo-science", as summarized in writing "...…The cultic brainwashing theory has generally been rejected by mainstream academia as a pseudoscientific myth that has been definitively repudiated on the basis of authoritative research on Communist coercive persuasion and also by generally accepted research demonstrating that people convert to off-beat religions through a voluntary process. According to such experts, the brainwashing term and concept are bandied about as if they have some clear meaning, though in fact they lack a precise denotation. There is, however, a definite connotation. The brainwashing explanation tends to be used when someone appears to have made a decision against their best interest, or to have altered their convictions in a seemingly disadvantageous and inappropriate manner. The person is seen as having been manipulated in such a way as to have lost personal autonomy and free will." ^[2]

[edit] Career

He has been an active teacher for 30 years, with most of the time being spent at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he is currently Professor of Sociology and Judicial Studies. He directs the Master of Judicial Studies Degree Program, which has nearly 100 trial judges working on degrees, and some 75 graduates. He is on the faculty for the large Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Doctoral Program, and also teaches in the undergraduate and masters programs in Sociology.

[edit] Footnotes

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