cargo cult

• Término que originalmente designaba prácticas religiosas surgidas en sociedades melanesias tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde los nativos imitaban el comportamiento de las fuerzas coloniales con la esperanza de obtener bienes materiales. En el uso moderno describe a cualquier grupo que imita los procedimientos superficiales de un sistema exitoso sin comprender sus principios subyacentes, frecuentemente en contextos de negocios y tecnología.

A term originally referring to religious practices that emerged in Melanesian societies after World War II, where indigenous people imitated the behavior of colonial military forces in hopes of receiving material goods. In modern usage, it describes any group that imitates the superficial procedures of a successful system without understanding the underlying principles, often used in business and technology contexts.

1. Religious or social movementC1formal

   A belief system or practice, especially among some indigenous peoples in the Pacific, that involves rituals to attract material wealth (cargo) from Western societies, often based on misinterpretation of colonial encounters.

   culto cargo

   • The cargo cult emerged in Melanesia after World War II.
   • Anthropologists studied the rituals of the cargo cult.
   • The islanders built imitation airstrips as part of their cargo cult practices.

2. Metaphorical usageC2informal

   A term used to describe any group or practice that imitates the superficial aspects of a successful system without understanding its underlying principles, often in business or technology.

   culto a la copia

   • The startup's approach was a cargo cult, copying features without understanding the market.
   • Some software teams engage in cargo cult programming, following methodologies blindly.
   • His management style was a cargo cult, mimicking successful leaders without the core values.