擒数网 （随信APP) | 一篇讨论青年如何被卷入传销的论文-博海拾贝

@游识猷：#世上神马研究都有# 一篇论文，关于青年陷入传销的过程。

📄陈相云.自我范畴、内群吸引与青年陷入传销的过程分析[J].当代青年研究,2024(01):72-83.

💴政府通过大力整顿使传销的活动空间步步紧缩，但传销仍产生新的变种以吸纳“招商对象”，其成员主要以青年人员为主。

💴本研究资料主要来自对曾经身陷传销的13 名职场青年和大学生所开展的深度访谈， 访谈对象均来自P 县，在地缘和血缘上与笔者存在联系。

因受访者所陷入的传销组织将目标对象称为“招商对象”， 为高度还原访谈资料的真实性，在下文论述中统一采用此种称谓。

▍布局和邀约

💴传销组织会鼓动其成员从个人的社会关系网络中寻找“招商对象”。

一旦目标确定，传销组织成员会在与“招商对象”日渐频繁的“情感”联系中指出其现有生活境遇的不公和发展空间受限，诱导其深切感受到现有生活压力、负担及不满等均来源于自身所处的组织和环境。

此时，“招商对象”基于主观比较而引发的相对剥夺感让他们极易接受传销组织的盛情邀请，赶赴实地“考察”，开拓“商业版图”。

▍“洗脑”

💴为把“招商对象”真正变为传销中的一员，传销组织会采取一系列措施改造他们的主观认知，“洗脑”便是其中的重要环节。

“洗脑”首先是一个“心理死亡”的过程， 即以往的认同被否定和放逐。

传销组织最为典型的做法是将“招商对象”与支持其原有认同体系的信息源隔离，通过参观、讲解等激起“招商对象”对传销组织的积极评价。

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▍抵制污名

💴为避免因社会污名而造成人员流失，传销组织会对自身的非法活动进行合法化解释。

...

▍走向“杀熟”

💴传销对“招商对象”的控制，主要通过成员间共享社会认同所产生的内群规范。

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▍欲望膨胀

💴金钱固然是访谈对象在传销中追逐的目标， 但是金钱本身更是关联着一种人格状态。

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@You Shiyou：#AllResearchHasValue# A research paper on the process of young people falling into pyramid schemes.

📄 Chen Xiangyun. Analysis of Self-Category, Inner Group Attraction, and the Process of Young People Falling into Pyramid Schemes[J]. Contemporary Youth Research, 2024(01):72-83.

💴 Despite the government's efforts to tighten the space for pyramid schemes, new variants continue to emerge to attract "recruits", with young people being the main members.

💴 The data for this study mainly comes from in-depth interviews conducted with 13 young professionals and college students who were once trapped in pyramid schemes, all from P County and having geographic and blood relations with the author.

Given that the interviewees were referred to as "recruits" by the pyramid schemes they were involved in, to ensure the authenticity of the interview data, this terminology will be used consistently in the following discussion.

▍ Layout and Invitation

💴 Pyramid schemes encourage their members to find "recruits" from their personal social networks.

Once the target is identified, pyramid scheme members will point out the perceived unfairness of their current life situation and limited prospects in increasingly frequent emotional contacts with the "recruits", inducing them to strongly feel the pressure, burdens, and dissatisfaction in their lives originating from the organization and environment.

At this point, due to the relative deprivation caused by subjective comparisons, the "recruits" are easily persuaded to accept the warm invitation of the pyramid scheme organization, visit the site for "inspection", and expand their "business territory."

💴"My introducer was my junior high school classmate, we hadn't been in touch for many years. Suddenly one day she contacted me, at first, we just chatted briefly, but then she greeted me 'good morning' and 'good night' every day. Over time, we established a romantic relationship. I completely trusted her... She often said my income was too low and asked me to help out at her shop, so we wouldn't have to be separated, and we could also explore the business environment there. If possible, we could open a shop together... At that time, I accepted without much thought because my current situation was not good." (GYD-03)

💴"My friend used to share his luxurious life with me, and in comparison, I felt that I was living too poorly... Later, I wanted to change my situation and had the idea of developing with him. I believed that I would definitely do better if I joined him." (CJS-01)

▍ "Brainwashing"

💴 To truly convert the "recruits" into members of the pyramid scheme, the organization will take a series of measures to alter their subjective cognition, and "brainwashing" is a vital step in this process.

"Brainwashing" first involves a process of "psychological death", where the previous identity is negated and exiled.

The most typical practice of pyramid schemes is to isolate the "recruits" from information sources that support their original identity, and stimulate positive evaluations of the pyramid scheme organization through visits, explanations, etc.

💴"The first time you come here, they will take you out under the guise of sightseeing and entertainment, telling you about the many businesses and banks established here en route, then explaining the policy support, even saying they are creating the 'fourth pole' of China's economic growth, and finally, tax incentives. In short, they mention how many people have made a lot of money here, so after listening, it feels particularly tempting." (ZLL-06)

💴"They deliberately over-interpret some phenomena, for example, they associate three trees with a three-level system, say that a sculpted elephant symbolizes a big project in the area, and a cow with a broken horn suggests not getting stuck in irrelevant details, and so on. They also say to observe three parts and comprehend seven parts, it's better to give up clearly than to miss out blindly. In the end, it's all about creating a sense of identification and resonance with their cause." (GYD-04)

💴With control and blocking of external information sources, coupled with the meticulously arranged schedules by the pyramid scheme organization, the "recruits" do not have the ability, motivation, or time to think precisely and rationally.

Especially when there is "reliable evidence" supporting the group advantage of the pyramid scheme organization, the "recruits" are easily swayed emotionally and make the decision to join, believing it will change their lives.

💴"My friend took me to a lecture, and the content ranged from the number of banks to the development in the western regions, then talked about national policies and macroeconomic regulation, and finally introduced a new concept called 'capital operation.' After listening, I felt enthusiastic and immediately decided to invest." (HBJ-04)

❝The lecturers are already successful in this organization...
they show everyone their passbooks, property certificates, and wealth,
and describe how well they are doing now. I immediately wanted to follow them.❞ (GYD-07)

💴"Project inspections" and "lectures" unwittingly expose a core principle of pyramid schemes, using practical experiences, persuasive speeches, and biased information to generate awareness among the "recruits".

Typically, after about seven days of intense consciousness transformation and atmospheric influence, witnessing the "success" examples within the industry, the sensory experiences, visual and auditory impacts, and the enclosed activity realms, internalize the persuasion of the pyramid scheme into the "recruits" own thoughts.

After several days of "guidance", most "recruits" decide to "seize the opportunity" and voluntarily place themselves within the pyramid scheme organization.

💴"After hearing what they said and seeing it for yourself, you will feel that this industry is too good and particularly suitable for you. You must seize this opportunity... and they told me that everyone who comes here is an ordinary person with ideals and great ambitions, who gather here to strive for their dreams... They also said this is the only chance for the poor to turn their lives around, once you miss it, you won't have another chance." (CLR-07)

▍ Activation of Identity

💴Once the "recruits" define themselves as members of the pyramid scheme organization and enthusiastically immerse themselves in their daily work and life, the organization's ideals, behaviors, and norms are deeply internalized.

💴"Every day after joining, we have to attend a 'morning meeting,' where we warmly shake hands, hug... after seating, everyone has to actively share and interact, and at specific moments, everyone competes eagerly to speak, sing, introduce themselves, etc., claiming it's about 'self-promotion'... and no matter what time we meet, we have to say 'good morning,' later I found out it actually means 'the platform is good in the morning'... during speeches, everyone would incorporate their characteristics and innovate in their speaking style to receive praise and recognition from other members." (ZC-08)

"Morning classes" are an important ritual of the pyramid scheme organization, with profound social psychology implications and mechanisms.

It not only directly affects the organizational beliefs and sense of belonging of the "recruits" but also triggers internal group identity, conformity, emotional contagion, and influences the cognition, emotion, and behavior of the "recruits."

Next is the ritual practice, where newcomers to the pyramid scheme organization are more reserved in their behavior and language expression, and the organization requires members to be proactive, enthusiastic, and expressive.

❝After joining the industry, we all have to give ourselves an industry name (mainly taken from our referrer)... we also have to give ourselves a clear industry positioning, for example, publicly stating that I am in local specialties, and some people say they drive luxury cars, work in foreign trade, own supermarkets, etc... they say it's to protect the stability and development of our industry, all the rules are accepted by everyone, as if everyone believes this is the distinguishing feature of our industry from others." (HSJ-12)

💴The pyramid scheme organization uses "quick success" as one of the core dimensions to differentiate itself from external groups, leading the "recruits" to conclude that "pyramid schemes are the only industry that can accumulate capital quickly within a limited time."

❝I stayed in BH City for a while and believed that the prospects of this capital operation industry were too good, definitely incomparable to other industries. At that time, I only had one thought that with a few years, I would definitely become a multimillionaire... looking back now, there is a clear feeling that people outside the industry think those inside are idiots, and those inside think the outsiders are idiots, in general, it's like that." (LL-19)

▍ Resistance to Stigma

💴To prevent personnel loss due to social stigma, pyramid schemes will explain their illegal activities as legitimate.

❝We most hate it when people say we are involved in pyramid schemes, we are a legitimate and legal industry, supported by national policies, many people simply do not understand. I believe if they understood, they would also join us." (CJR-24)

❝They found several negative news about pyramid schemes in City B on the internet for me and then explained them one by one, saying that the police arrest pyramid scheme participants as if it were a joke, not wearing formal police uniforms, and the people being arrested even smile... the person said, 'Look, this is the policy of deceive the people, just to scare away the timid... and to ensure social stability and promote positive energy, we explicitly do not welcome criminals because we are a legitimate institution, staunchly oppose illegal activities." (KJQ-15)

💴Pyramid schemes construct a virtual family relationship of caring and mutual inspiration among members.

❝Because of being in this industry, my family basically cut ties with me, they completely do not understand or support me. At that time, I was on the brink of collapse, but I got through it with the encouragement and support of my team brothers and sisters. They made me feel the warmth of a family, so I am very grateful to them and am unwilling to leave this team." (LH-09)

❝They (pyramid scheme members) are all my 'family,' only they will support me, affirm me, I firmly believe that I and the 'family' will definitely succeed. We swear to achieve results to show those who slander us." (CJS-07)

Under this nurturing atmosphere of "I for all, all for me," the "recruits" begin to transfer their feelings of "family" to the pyramid scheme organization, hoping to find a sense of belonging.

The "recruits" may even develop a sense of emotional obligation towards the organization, willing to go through fire and water for it. Even in the face of stigma and defamation from others, the "recruits" continue to show a high degree of identification with the pyramid scheme industry.

▍ Progressing to "Kill Familiarity"

💴Control over the "recruits" by the pyramid scheme is primarily through internal group norms generated by shared social identities among members.

❝We each call each other 'boss'... there are fixed meeting and study times every day... although living conditions are very tough, through suffering comes greatness, although the conditions are humble, we believe it's a form of tempering." (LL-21)

❝If we want to succeed, we have to start with the resources around us, persuade and mobilize relatives and friends to support our cause, at that time, what they said made a lot of sense." (CLJ-20)

💴Driven by the desire for quick wealth, the "recruits" view their "own people" and familiar acquaintances as the main targets to achieve performance.

❝The first person I recruited was my wife, I told her that I found a good job, she used to stay at home with the kids, but eventually, she couldn't resist my persuasion and came over with all of our savings." (SHB-16)

❝The first person I 'recruited' was my primary school classmate, after taking her for a visit and experience, a few days later, my classmate decided to join, becoming officially my downline, and later, she even recruited her father as her downline." (CMJ-21)

❝To quickly build a working team and achieve financial freedom early, I was crazy about borrowing money from or bringing everyone I knew into the team. All my relatives and friends were seen as potential development targets." (CJS-23)

Compared to the effort required to gain the trust of strangers, leveraging existing emotional ties to recruit family and friends proves to be more efficient, especially when pyramid scheme members believe that the returns from a single betrayal far outweigh the emotional connections with relatives and friends, and the breakdown of trust cannot be enforced with punitive measures. They will engage in "kill familiarity" behaviors deceitfully, to earn bonuses and climb up the ladder to the top manager position.

▍ Expansion of Desires

💴While money is the goal that the interviewees are chasing in pyramid schemes, money itself represents a certain personality state.

Unlike traditional employment, pyramid schemes always emphasize the cultivation of "high-quality entrepreneurs," where the non-mechanical and irreplaceable nature of entrepreneurship enables the "recruits" to escape the dilemma of future development being controlled by others; at the same time, the full-out rule of the "Five-Stage Three-Advancement System" is packaged as a way to avoid falling into greedy paths, and having a "wise financial approach" is depicted as an essential moral quality for organization members.

💴Not only are the "recruits" drawn by the mindset of self-enrichment, they also have a vision of self-realization. This vision encompasses not only substantial economic power but also qualities like independence, excellence, even becoming a role model benefiting the lives of their neighbors.

Pyramid schemes are adept at creating and utilizing this vision to entrap the "recruits," making them unable to extricate themselves.

💴❝I feel like I can't work for others forever and am tired of this life. I want to succeed, and this opportunity (entering the pyramid scheme) came at the right time. Although most people don't understand me, when I make money in the future, everyone will definitely look at me differently, and people from my hometown will see me as their role model." (DLS-11)

💴For "recruits" who are deeply immersed in pyramid scheme illusions and unwilling to leave voluntarily, they often need external coercive forces to help them break free from the identity constraints shaped by the organization.

❝I was forcibly sent back from G city by my family, they hired a car and had four people monitor me throughout the journey, driving on the highway until they brought me home. At the time, I was thinking of escaping from home, but my family took turns watching over me 24 hours a day and had different people talk to me every day, mainly telling me that no one will hand opportunities to us on a silver platter, if an opportunity is that good, will it come to me? Their older generation had already left... this went on for about half a year, and my crazy emotions slowly cooled down, realizing that I had been deceived, and I started asking my family to find me a job to earn money." (GYD-29)

❝I was deceived by my father, he said he was going to send money to me at the train station, but he and others were hiding elsewhere, when I showed up, they pushed me down, and my father even kneeled in front of me... later, I had no choice but to return home with him. To prevent me from running away, my family installed burglar bars on the windows and we ate and slept together... they specifically found some educated relatives to tell me that only hard work can bring success, and so on. At first, I couldn't listen, this continued for about a year, and I started realizing that I had entered a pyramid scheme... I asked my family to find me a job, wanting to go out and earn money." (HSJ-36)

💴Pyramid schemes are well-versed in moral games and linguistic manipulations in local contexts, adeptly using seemingly ordinary concepts and actions to support and conceal their fraudulent rules, discourse, and organizational operations.

Those caught in this absurd game of deception are usually ordinary people with limited resources, mainly composed of young individuals.

The longer they stay in the pyramid scheme organization, the more they are influenced by a comprehensive system of discourse and action. Once this social identification is formed, it inevitably has a significant and profound impact on their values.

The fanatical pursuit and excessive investment in pyramid schemes often result in extreme distortions and tragic consequences for the individuals and their families, making them even more vulnerable due to their already scarce resources, culminating in extreme and distressing outcomes under the combined disturbance of internal and external forces.