Astrology, yoga, and politics. New age and students' political orientations

Journal/Book: Soziale Welt. 1999; 50: Annastrabe 7, D-37075 Gottingen, Germany. Verlag Otto Schwartz & Co. 51+.

Abstract: The increasing interest in esotericism has provoked controversial reactions and interpretations by social scientists: some hold that the boom of esotericism reflects the spread of an irrational, uncritical, and apolitical personality, while others see the New Age movement as counter-cultural and expressing attitudes critical of society. The results of a survey of 350 Austrian university students support the second thesis rather than the first: students who are attracted to esoteric practices and New Age ideologies participate more frequently in activities of political protest than other students. The mutual correlations between critical attitudes towards society, affinity towards New Age, and subject studies by the student may offer an explanation of the finding that students of the social sciences are more attracted to esotericism than students of the technical sciences, economics, and law. The differences between different subjects of study with regard to New Age affinity seem to be due to the fact that persons tend to choose their subjects in correspondence with their personalities: woman and persons who judge themselves as emotional and intuitive are more attracted to esotericism and at the same time tend to choose subjects like arts or social sciences, while men and persons judging themselves as logical and rational are more distant to esotericism and prefer the exact sciences.

Note: Article Hollinger F, Karl Franzens Univ Graz, Inst Soziol, Univ Str 15-G4, A-8010 Graz, AUSTRIA

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