lOMoARcPSD|22517024
CJUS 230 Journal Evaluation 2
Criminal Justice Research and Writing (Liberty
University)
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
Evaluation Form
NAME: Zachary Cushman Date: 9/2/2021
Reference
Nielsen, D. A. (1984). Charles Manson’s family of love: A case study of anomism, puerilism
and transmoral consciousness in civilizational perspective. Sociological Analysis, 45(4),
315– 337. https://doi.org/10.2307/3711297
1.
A.
B.
1. OUTLINE: Use the exact titles
and subtitles in the article
Use alphanumeric style
I. (APA level 1)
A. (APA level 2)
1. (APA level 3)
a. (APA level 4)
(1) (APA level 5)
II. And so on
I. Introduction
II. Structures of Consciousness and Civilizational
Regression
III.Charles Manson's Family of Love: A Civilization-
Analytic Perspective
A. Charisma, Community and the Family's Emerging
Faith Structure
B. Puerilism, Play and Art
C. Millenial Dreams and Deeds of Helter Skelter
D. Anomism and the Retreat from Rationales
E. Acosmic Love, Guiltless Perfection and the
Transmoral Consciousness
F. The Manson Family - Unique? Some Brief
Historical and Analytical Reflections
IV. Conclusion
2. PURPOSE: (State, as
accurately as possible, the
author’s purpose for writing the
article. What was the author trying
to
accomplish? What portion of the
“This essay examines the Charles Manson Family in
civilizational perspective, and stresses the
role of changing structures of consciousness in the
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
C.
D.
article leads you to identify the
author’s purpose?)
[Abstract, summary, conclusion]
Family's organization and operation.” p. 315 (Abstract)
“This essay will argue that the Family is best understood
within the analytical horizons of a historical sociology of
civilizational processes and structures of consciousness”
p. 316 (Introduction)
3. KEY QUESTION: (Your goal
is to figure out the key question
that was in the author’s mind when
he or she wrote the article. In other
words, what key question is
addressed?)
[the key issue is…., the main
point is…]
The key question addressed is:
“What aspects of the Family's ideas, organization and
activities emerge as especially relevant from a
civilizational perspective? How can a civilization-
analytic horizon help us to better understand and locate
this vexing "case" within a wider field of significance?”
” p. 316
4. LITERATURE REVIEW The attitude of puerilism (Huizinga, 1936), which we
encompass within the sacro-magical structures as a
variant of a neo-primitive and childlike attitude (Freud,
1950), turned life for the Family into an endless round of
ritual play and game. This puerilism was linked to radical
anomism and a rejection of all universalizing rules and
logics of decision characteristic of a rationalized structure
of society. The corporate embodiment and identity of
several individuals in the Family was rooted in a feeling
of acosmic love and guiltless perfection in the possession
by a common faith, a key element of which was a
transmoral conscience (Tillich, 1948; Nelson, 1973a).
The Family ultimately followed a millenial dream fusing
the motifs of erotic love and death. The actual content of
this dream emerged through Manson's preaching in the
form of an oral "bricolage" assemblage, a further relevant
characteristic of sacro-magical methods of thought (Levi-
Strauss, 1966). p. 316
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
E.
F.
5. MOST IMPORTANT
INFORMATION: Key
information, suppositions, facts,
data
[the main point is…, the
most important point…]
Transition signals
1. Addition-also, another,
next, first, other
2. Cause and effect-because,
since, therefore, as a
result
3. Comparison-like, equally,
just as
4. Contrast-but, yet, on
the contrary, however
5. Emphasis-most, above
all, key factor, especially
6. Illustration-for example,
for instance
7. Conclusion – finally,
in sum, in conclusion
However, it also shares key features in common with
other spokesmen of "anti-modernity” p. 316
When such "regressions" occur from one type of
structure of consciousness to another, changes in the
mode of construction of the actual concrete contents of a
cultural "ideology" are also likely to occur, i.e. the
methods of thought change p. 319
A steady stream of written material has flowed over the
past decade since the "Manson murders" p. 315
"Revolution I,' a loose blues, generally anti-revolutionary
in verbal expression, yet suggestive in its ragged
structure and ambiguous lyrics, became a secret call from
the Beatles to Manson that they wanted "in" on his
Apocalypse p. 326
In conclusion, we argue that the Family is best seen as a
radical anomistic sect and is most readily comparable to
various Medieval and early modern heresies such as that
of the Free Spirit, the Ranters, and others. p. 316
Finally, some illustrative historical comparisons were
offered and related analytical issues discussed to show
that the Family was not as unique a group as many have
thought. p. 335
First, we will provide several brief intracivilizational
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
G.
comparisons from European history to illustrate this
argument. p. 331
In conclusion, the civilizational perspective suggests that
groups like the Family which display "regressions" to
some form of faith or sacro-magical outlook are likely to
be a recurrent feature of our society as long as we
continue to experience massive, if periodic, sociocultural
dislocations which challenge our sense of a meaningful
common “world”. p. 335
The structures of consciousness constituted by the
civilizational setting will provide an especially central
analytical focus for our essay. p. 317
More important, for our purposes, "regressions" from one
more historically "advanced " type to "earlier" forms are
possible, especially from rationalized to faith structures,
but even to the sacro-magical. p. 318
6. METHODOLOGY(Key
methods used)
[Methods: What model is used,
what is the experimental design,
our data was from, Are there any
stated hypothesis? If so what are
the independent of dependent
variables? What are the units of
analysis (sample)? Were there
any instruments used? Was this
a cross sectional or longitudinal
design or other design like
experiment, survey, or
observation? What are the
I do not know where to find the method for this journal
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Zachary Cushman
Liberty University
H.
sample characteristics-selection,
participation rate?]
8. LIMITATIONS/DISCUSSION
(Limitations of the study)
[Limitations, Discussion: One
limitation of our study is, other
limitations, Other studies
show…]
No limitations found
9. CONCLUSION
(The main conclusion(s) of the
author(s))
[Conclusion: In summary,
Finally, In conclusion,
Future studies?]
In conclusion, the civilizational perspective suggests that
groups like the Family which
display "regressions" to some form of faith or sacro-
magical outlook are likely to be a recur-
rent feature of our society as long as we continue to
experience massive, if periodic,
sociocultural dislocations which challenge our sense of a
meaningful common “world”. p. 335
10. YOUR OPINION OF
THE PAPER
I think this paper would help solve the question of “Why
people followed Charles Manson?” but maybe not the
question of “Why did Charles Manson decide to kill and
start a cult?”
