Eileen Barker:

It always astounds me how readily the opinion of experts is parroted even where that opinion is wholly unsupported by evidence. Barker is a Professor of Sociology and has pronounced opinions about the non existence of cults - and who makes consistent claims about the 'hysteria' and misapprehensions of families who believe their offspring/siblings have been 'brainwashed'.

While Barker has written extensively about New Religous Movements - she has never published any form of 'critical' analysis of the behaviour, effects or intentions of NRMs and although it is frequently claimed that she has demonstrated that 'brainwashing' is a myth - she has never made any effective challenge to the work of Margaret Singer.

Interestingly Singer worked in partnership with Sociologists - Barker has apparently never found a psychologist worthy of working with.