I think that in-group language is still a big problem in those contexts, though I'd agree it's not abusive or cult-like in intent. To work with the example you gave -- the difference between academic definitions of racism and kind of lay understandings of racism cause so many problems and conflicts! And I find that, as an academic, I was trained to write in a way that was super inaccessible, long winded, confusing... and that made my research less useful to the public. So it did have an isolating and othering effect, though in this case it has the effect of hoarding knowledge and power and keeping it from the public, rather than keeping academics themselves under control.