Knowledge Bank

In the modern individualist society, astrology and the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) are popular on the media and present a unique pattern of noninstitutional practices. However, there is few research stressing their sociological significance. This thesis argues that the popularity of astrology and MBTI are closely connected to the modern individualism. As a case study, the research focuses on online communities and adopts the Durkheimian theoretical approaches of religion, analyzing, interpreting, and comparing the two cultural products in theory, practice, and application. For both astrology and MBTI, enthusiasts embrace a set of theories promoting the independent self, utilize certain types of learning methods, and hold a pragmatic view about the applications in elucidating the self and providing guidance. In the time of scientific dominance, astrology and MBTI feature knowledge and inquisitiveness, the important characteristics of science, whereas they continue to take the different religious forms. Astrology is an individualistic religion that recognizes a mysterious external principle, while MBTI employs a totemic system that identifies people and suggests their actions. The coexistence of the two distinct religious form in terms of individualism in modern society needs to be further investigated in the future.