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The economic and social dynamic of the Church of Scientology is one of its most controversial aspects. Accusations of cult-like behavior center on the extreme social control and monetary necessities attendant on being a member of the Church of Scientology (Ogle 2010). The actual extent of these circumstances is a matter of great debate, but it is known that Scientologists originally come from all walks of life, including highly varied and disparate social, economic, national, and ethnic backgrounds (Peckham 1998).
All of the factors listed above have the potential for effecting the collection of data in a physical health assessment. The cultural and social controls practiced by the Church of Scientology make many Scientologists mistrustful of non-Church members, especially medical practitioners (Kent 2002). The specific religious and spiritual beliefs of Scientologists is also a major factor in this area. Again, the reluctance to submit to the assessment and a lack of honest introspection when delivering answers could very well lead to difficulties in performing reliable qualitative and quantitative assessments of Scientologists.
That being said, there are few cultural influences that would prohibit Scientologists from achieving the goals of the Healthy People 2010 program. The concepts of self-realization of mind and body that Scientologists practice, regardless of the social and cultural ramifications, tends to promote good health...
There is a possibility that psychological issues might not be adequately addressed, and it is likely that issues requiring medical attention might not be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as would be desired, but healthful life habits are generally encouraged among the group.
The degree of religious, social, and cultural differences that exist in Scientologists do not have dramatic effects on their physical health, though they do have enormous effects on the ability for medical practitioners to perform health assessments. Attempting these assessments is important in order to better understand the group and the influence it wields on its individual members.
References
Bainbridge, W. & Stark, R. (1980). "Scientology: To be perfectly clear." Sociological analysis 41(2), pp. 128-36.
Kent, S. (2002). "The Globalization of Scientology: Influence, Control and Opposition in Transnational Markets." Religion 29(2), pp. 147-69.
Ogle, a. (2010). "Travolta flies aid, Scientology to Haiti." Accessed 31 January 2010. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jeF5ussei3k0K7yvLch535NNxuYQ
Peckham, M. (1998). "New dimensions of social movement/countermovement interaction." Canadian journal of scientology 23(4), pp. 317-347.
Scientology.org. (2010). Accessed 31 January 2010. http://www.scientology.org/?source=ga&gclid=CO_9rYHez58CFQ4HagodSnHdEw#/videos
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