Sects and congregations through the perspective of adult children of parents who belong to religious groups

Throughout history, sects and congregations have left deep traces by influencing the societies in which they exist in various ways. In this respect, they are a historical and sociological fact of society, even though they may be the subject of debate from time to time. During periods of social change, sects and congregations, like other institutions in society, are also affected and undergo change and transformation. As a result of the social change in Turkey, the current form of sects-congregations has become quite different from its appearance centuries ago. Today, they appear as structures that adapt to change while remaining in touch with tradition. Their impact on the social structure is both positive and negative. This situation has also revealed different perspectives towards sects and congregations in society. In our research, sects and congregations were examined through the eyes of young people whose parents are members of religious groups, and problematics such as the effects of religious groups on their followers, their positive and negative functions in society and their effects on family relations were explained. In this study, a semi-structured interview form was applied with in-depth interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods. Individuals over the age of 18 whose parents are members of a religious group were interviewed. The findings of the study were analyzed using descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the effect of religious groups on parents differed. It has been observed that parents' characters and perception of religiosity shape the way they communicate with their children. This situation caused conflicts in some families. It was also found that parenting styles affect children's perspectives on religion and religious groups.