The Psychology Of Political Obedience | Dottalks Webinar Series
Channel: Tetso College
Date: 2020-10-13

The Psychology Of Political Obedience
To what lengths do people obey authority without question? What enables people to thoughtlessly obey those they deem to be in the position of authority? These questions are particularly pertinent in a society, such as India and Nagaland, that prioritizes categorization—be they tribe, caste, or religion—above all else. Such queries when properly examined and understood give valuable insights into the nature of socio-political conflicts and tensions that continue to haunt highly divisive societies. By obedience (political obedience), we mean performing an act or carrying out an action because of a command by someone in a position of authority, not out of personal volition or desires. In political sense, it means an obligation toward the sovereign, state, or group. In other words, obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose. It binds people to systems of authority, such as tribe, religion, caste, etc. Indeed, recent studies and observations in daily life suggest that for many people, obedience may be a deeply ingrained behavioural tendency overriding even ethics, sympathy, and moral conduct. By far, one of the most far-reaching implications of obedience or submission to authority is the disappearance of a person’s sense of responsibility. This is visibly evident especially when individual persons are immersed in a crowd. Individuals in a mass crowd are especially prone to obedience, a phenomenon that is yet to be properly grasped to appreciate the recurring tumultuous communal political events and other political outcomes. Here, the crowd has come to play an essential role for tribal and communal leaders and politicians to attain certain aims, as masses become slaves to the will of their masters (i.e. tribal and communal leaders). This phenomenon is better understood when we consider the innate human need to obey; especially, the need to obey without questioning the authority we see as legitimate, which further certifies our need to conform to existing norms, values, and beliefs that implicitly sanctions and discourages anyone from going against the established groups’ dogmas. This is particularly true as the primordial and instinctual pull of tribal or communal organization still looms large in most of our lives, with many identifying and stereotyping both ourselves and others based on categories, such as tribe, caste, or religion, to which we adhere or belong.

 
About the Speaker
Salikyu, Ph.D.
Faculty of International Relations and Political Science
North East Christian University

Salikyu is a faculty of International Relations and Political Science at the North East Christian University. He specializes in political psychology (behavioralism) and research methods.

Webinar held on 28th September 2020.