Scientology as Identity and Institution: Core Members 1986-87

The purpose of this survey was to obtain demographic and cultural information about a group of Danes who have chosen to join the Scientology movement. Scientology is one of the many new religious movements which - via the USA - spread all over the Western world in the 1960s and the 1970s. Among other things, this survey opens up the possibility of examining social, educational and cultural differences between this group of people and the majority of the Danish population by means of comparisons with information from the 'Danish Leisure Study, 1987', which was carried out by the Danish National Institute of Social Research (DDA-1237 and DDA-1342 to DDA-1346). # Ultimately the actual weight of the questionnaire decided the maximum limits of the scope of the survey. The postal charge limit which the primary investigator had to keep within was 100 grams, and when packed the questionnaire, including the envelope and a stamped addressed envelope, weighed 99 grams. # As regards background information the primary investigator had nothing to go on. No hypotheses were put forward to be tested, the sole purpose was to obtain information. # Some of the persons who took part in this survey, as well as a number of new Scientology members, were sent another questionnaire at the turn of the year 1991/92. This questionnaire contained a number of questions which are replications of the questions used in this survey (DDA-1605: Scientology as Identity and Institution: Follow-Up 1991-92)