A podcast about the modern-day “cults” we all follow. Each episode asks the culty questions we’re all wondering… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about Elon Musk stans? Or the Royal Family? What about spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? Sounds Like A Cult, hosted by Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, analyzes a different zeitgeisty group every week to try and answer the big question: This group sounds like a cult, but is it really? And if so, how bad is it? Follow Us: Podcast Instagram - @soundslikeacultpod Host Amanda Montell - @amanda_montell (Preorder her new book!)
https://www.soundslikeacult.com/
The Cult of Homeschooling
There's still time to preorder a copy of Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking, out April 9!!
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Catch Amanda on tour next week!!!
April 9: Los Angeles, CA — feat. Pauline Chalamet (tickets here) *less than 5 tix left*
April 12: Brooklyn, NY — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (tickets here) Use code CULTMAGIC for 10% off!
April 13: Boston, MA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Meredith Goldstein & Sasha Sagan (tickets here) *less than 5 tix left*
April 16: Philadelphia, PA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (tickets here) *new promo price*
May 1: Atlanta, GA — Wild Heaven – West End with A Cappella Books (tickets here)
Stereotypes say that homeschool kids are a little, well, ~quirky~ but is that because they grew up in a "cult" of sorts? The American homeschool landscape is currently undergoing an especially fraught *paradigm shift* with upwards of 2 million kids being taught at home as of 2023. This surge is fueled by a range of sociopolitical factors, from the relatable (school shootings are scary!!!!) to the undeniably sinister (ahem, IBLP… ahem, Lord of the Flies-style unschooling practices that overlap with the troubled teen industry???). Homeschooling—with its insular communities, lack of regulation, and sometimes radical approaches to child-rearing—can add up to something eeeeeeeerily reminiscent of a fringey, paranoid sect. To help parse it out what “cult category” homeschooling falls into, Amanda is chatting with her pal (and homeschool *survivor*) Justina Sharp. This is delicate subject matter, and everyone’s experiences are different, so if you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out the resources below! Thanks to all the culties who called in to share their personal experiences on the topic!
Sources:
- Home schooling is surging, but lax regulation can leave kids vulnerable to abuse: https://www.npr.org/2024/01/18/1225324564/home-schooling-is-surging-but-lax-regulation-can-leave-kids-vulnerable-to-abuse
- Coalition for Responsible Home Education: https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/
- Home schooling’s rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/
- ‘Unschooling’ Isn’t The Answer To Education Woes—It’s The Problem: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2020/05/25/unschooling-isnt-the-answer-to-education-woes-its-the-problem/?sh=7541bc55543c
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