Definition

1. Noun:
   • A religious or social movement: A "cargo cult" is a belief system or ritual practice, primarily observed in Melanesian societies, where followers anticipate the arrival of a future time of prosperity, peace, and justice. This salvation is often expected to be delivered in the form of material goods ("cargo") brought by outsiders, historically Westerners.
   • A sociological metaphor: In a broader, modern context, the term describes the imitation of the superficial rituals or procedures of a process without a true understanding of the underlying principles, in the hope of achieving similar results.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anthropologists studied the island's cargo cult, which built mock airstrips to attract planes bearing goods.
  • The company's strategy was derided as a cargo cult of agile methodology; they held daily stand-up meetings but ignored the core principles of collaboration and adaptation.

Advanced Usage

• "Cargo cult science": A phrase coined by physicist Richard Feynman to describe practices that have the superficial appearance of the scientific method but lack its essential substance of honest, rigorous inquiry.

  • The researcher was accused of cargo cult science for focusing on statistical significance without considering experimental design.

• "Cargo cult programming": In software development, this refers to the practice of using code or patterns without understanding how or why they work.

  • Copying complex code from the internet without understanding it is a classic example of cargo cult programming.

Variants and Related Words

• Cargoism (n, rare): A term sometimes used to refer to the ideology or practice of a cargo cult.
• Millenarian cult (n): A broader category of religious movements that anticipate a coming radical transformation of society, of which cargo cults are a specific type.

Synonyms

• Imitative ritual: (for the metaphorical sense) A practice focused on form over function.
• Millenarian movement: A group expecting a fundamental and imminent change in the world.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Cargo cult mentality": Describes a mindset characterized by superstitious imitation and a belief in magical outcomes from mimicking external forms.
  • The team's cargo cult mentality led them to believe that using the same software tools as the successful startup would guarantee their own success.

Noun

1. a religious cult that anticipates a time of joy, serenity, and justice when salvation comes
2. (Melanesia) the followers of one of several millenarian cults that believe salvation will come in the form of wealth (`cargo') brought by westerners; some ascribe divine attributes to westerners on first contact (especially to missionaries)