Today’s world is a place of constant conflicts, which can be domestic or international. These conflicts may be civil wars within individuals and moral dilemmas. Society’s norms face the challenge of war situations in which the reality of combat generally contradicts common ones. The obedience dynamics inform people of the level at which they have been dominated in these most disturbing war times. The attack on the Moscow concert hall, which was once claimed by the Islamic extremist group ISIS, can help in understanding how to follow authority in times of crisis.
The theory of obedience is not just a simple relation to this crisis. However, it shows how individuals perceive the leader and the rules of society, and how this belief leads to certain behaviors and reactions. Milgram’s remarkable obedience experiments have provided evidence that obedience to authority is a strong drive that leads a person to follow orders regardless of their inner sense of right and wrong or social norms (Gibson, 2019). This situation indicates the impact on social structure, where people tend to obey those who are perceived as subjectively authoritative. Obedience, as an approach addressed in conflict resolution, is crucial in order to ensure that everyone is able to work systemically, which often is a critical element in hierarchical matters (Götz et al., 2023). Compliance during the Moscow concert hall attack could be helpful because it allows both effective mission accomplishment and favorable safety, particularly in military settings where soldiers use orders.
In times of crisis, obedience might be very helpful for achieving cooperation and coordination. In the outcome of the Moscow concert hall attack, several positive aspects of obedience emerged: Timely responses from emergency services and law enforcement confirmed the effectiveness of obedient behavior, which enabled efficient resource allocation and immediate civilians’ evacuation to minimize causalities (Said-Moorhouse, 2024). The obedient behavior provided law enforcement with speedy reaching and unconcealed recording of the attackers with joint efforts to identify and neutralize the threat. The result of the obedient behavior of the military is that more harm is preventable from the citizens who violated, and it will also be possible to start the peacebuilding process and restore peaceful coexistence.
Nevertheless, while unconditional obedience can lead to great damage, like the one seen in the ISIS-claimed suicide bombing in a Moscow concert hall, it also indicates the aspirations and ultimate tenacity of ISIS. The perpetrators demonstrated utmost loyalty to ISIS’ extremist ideological doctrines, causing the killing of countless innocent people (Said-Moorhouse, 2024). Following these radical ideas may lead to violence or even terrorism and escalate the conflict, resulting in cycles of retaliation. In the scenario, unquestioning obedience to the regulations of a radical group leading to destructive consequences demonstrates the risk of following doctrinal guidelines blindly in conflict spots.
Observing the breaches of social norms during wartimes, like the Moscow concert hall attacks, can stir us up with emotions of disbelief. Seeing individuals who have fallen under the influence of extremist ideas among terrorist attackers can evoke feelings of betrayal and discontent (Windisch et al., 2019). In the case of personal acquaintance and recognition, who execute exploitations, the perpetrator as a member of one’s social circle rather than an outsider might increase moral constituents and indignation. This is because it substantially damages fundamental values that keep a society together, as a reminder about the profound consequences of abuses for the individuals and the whole community.
Witnessing social norm violation, as evident from the story of the Moscow concert hall attack, is a situation that may have a far-reaching influence on the psychological health of individuals and the collective. Seeing people who perform violent activities and other forms of extremism, such as shooting randomly at innocent people, can contribute to feelings of insecurity, anxiety, fear, and alienation within society and human beings. Furthermore, accepting such attitudes and behavior can deprive people of feelings of colonization, which results in apathy and ethical disengagement. Also, being in that environment for a long time, like in the case of frequent and severe conflicts and social troubles, violently aided by the attacks, people get traumatized badly. To a great extent, the erosion of institutional trust and persistent feelings of insecurity illustrates the severity of the effects of social norm violations on both the psychological health of individuals and the trust between communities (Windisch et al., 2019). Therefore, the government and other responsible stakeholders should take the initiative to remedy and reduce their negative influences.
Active measures should be taken to crack down on existing societal values and exacerbate the disposition of conflicts. Besides dialogues, empathy, and understanding, community engagement initiatives can be used to prevent extremist groups from reaching their goals based on divisiveness. Education plays a crucial role in destroying myths and stereotypes and giving individuals the power to critically analyze information, enabling them to reject indoctrination. After that, developing a culture of tolerance and inclusivity in localities will reduce the attraction of extremist ideas by contributing to social unity and patience against challenges.
To conclude, the interaction of obedience and conflict not only shows the complex nature of the behavior of individuals during emergencies but also the conflict between individuals within themselves. Though obedience contributes to releasing order, some can also use it to subject people to abuse. Critical thinking, empathy, and community resilience challenge the existing norms, which inadvertently make peace a widespread habit in society. As a result, these actions bring conflicts to an end, promote understanding, and prepare for collective reconciliation and peace.
Gibson, S. (2019). Obedience without orders: Expanding social psychology’s conception of ‘obedience’. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58(1), 241-259. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12272
Götz, F. J., Mitschke, V., & Eder, A. B. (2023). Conflict experience and resolution underlying obedience to authority. Scientific reports, 13(1), 11161. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38067-z
Said-Moorhouse, L. (2024, March 25). What we know about the Moscow concert hall attack. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/23/europe/moscow-attack-what-we-know-intl/index.html
Windisch, S., Scott Ligon, G., & Simi, P. (2019). Organizational [dis] trust: Comparing disengagement among former left-wing and right-wing violent extremists. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 42(6), 559-580.