Cargo cults typically emerge as a response to colonialism or new contact with industrial societies. They involve a ritualistic imitation of the practices and material culture of the colonizers, with the hope of obtaining similar material wealth and benefits. They are often characterized by a belief in the return of ancestral spirits or deities who will bring cargo (i.e. goods or resources) to the community.

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Cargo Cults Are

Question 32

Multiple Choice

Cargo cults are

A) an example of religion as a form of social control.
B) a type of revitalization movement in response to new contact with industrial societies.
C) based on the popular style of pants with many pockets.
D) religious organizations within the United States that meet in large warehouses.
E) rites of passage found among the Betsileo of Madagascar.

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