noun a religious movement that arises in a non-Western culture that worships Western goods and technology as symbols of wealth and power
In sociology, cargo cults can be viewed as a form of resistance or adaptation to colonial or capitalist influences.
In economics, the concept of cargo cults may be used metaphorically to describe misguided or ineffective economic practices or policies.
In anthropology, cargo cults refer to belief systems in which indigenous people imitate the actions of colonizers in hopes of receiving material wealth or goods.
In religious studies, cargo cults are studied as examples of syncretic religious movements that emerged in response to colonialism.
In cultural studies, cargo cults are analyzed as cultural phenomena that reflect the impact of colonization on indigenous societies.
In the context of writing, 'cargo cult' may be used to describe a style of writing that imitates the superficial aspects of successful works without understanding or achieving the underlying principles.
Psychologists may use the term 'cargo cult' to refer to a phenomenon where individuals engage in rituals or behaviors without understanding the true cause-and-effect relationships, similar to how cargo cults imitate the actions of outsiders without understanding the reasons behind them.
In business analysis, 'cargo cult' can be used to describe the practice of mimicking successful strategies or processes without fully comprehending the rationale behind them, leading to ineffective decision-making.
Software developers may use 'cargo cult' to describe the tendency of some programmers to blindly copy code or practices from others without truly understanding the underlying principles, resulting in subpar or inefficient solutions.
In marketing, 'cargo cult' could be used to describe the imitation of successful marketing strategies without understanding the target audience or market dynamics, leading to ineffective campaigns.
Educators may use 'cargo cult' to describe the phenomenon where students mimic behaviors or strategies without grasping the underlying concepts, resulting in surface-level learning without true understanding.
Researchers may use 'cargo cult' to refer to the replication of experimental procedures without understanding the theoretical framework or rationale behind the study, leading to potentially flawed or misleading results.
Engineers may use 'cargo cult' to describe the practice of replicating designs or solutions without understanding the underlying principles of engineering, potentially leading to errors or inefficiencies in the final product.