Suicide Bombing: Cultural and Psychological Roots of the Phenomenon in the Historical Context

Occupation: Professor of the Department of Social Psychology
Affiliation: St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Address: 15 Fuchika St., St. Petersburg 192238, Russian Federation

Journal name

Chelovek

Edition

Volume 31 Issue №2

Pages

118-127

Abstract

Terrorism in the modern society are increasingly representerait themselves through individual suicide bombers. The analysis of the cultural and psychological roots of suicide terrorism shows availability of culturally-specific and General cultural grounds, which in varying degrees contribute to the escalation of this phenomenon. The latter, in particular, relates necrophilia, described by Fromm as one of the characteristic features of the technogenic civilization, and mortelatria — the cult of heroic death. At the article analyzes the grounds that were characteristic of any time of the existence of terrorism (low — status position of the group to which the individual belongs, its isolation, religious and cultural approval of terror, age predisposition, etc.), and examines the modern specifics-the phenomenon of cyber Jihad or electronic Jihad. In addition to the cultural and historical origins and comparative analysis of the phenomenon, the article describes modern methods of recruitment of suicide bombers via the Internet. The ways of recruiting new terrorists through social networks are considered in detail. Psychological States, characteristics of the person, political views to which the recruiter pays attention are revealed. The algorithms of actions are analyzed as a whole, from the beginning to the end of the recruitment process, and in relation to a particular state, personality characteristics, political views.

Keywords

suicide bomber, suicide terrorism, the psychology of the terrorist, the roots of terrorism, necrophilia, mortelatria, technologies for the recruitment of terrorists

Received

09.05.2020

Publication date

15.05.2020

Number of characters

15447

Cite

GOST	Melnikova A. Suicide Bombing: Cultural and Psychological Roots of the Phenomenon in the Historical Context // Chelovek – 2020. – V. 31. – Issue №2 C. 118-127 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://chelovek-journal.ru/S023620070009631-1-1 (circulation date: 25.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S023620070009631-1
MLA	Melnikova, Alla A "Suicide Bombing: Cultural and Psychological Roots of the Phenomenon in the Historical Context." Chelovek 31.2 (2020):118-127. DOI: 10.31857/S023620070009631-1
APA	Melnikova A. (2020). Suicide Bombing: Cultural and Psychological Roots of the Phenomenon in the Historical Context. Chelovek 31(2), pp.118-127 DOI: 10.31857/S023620070009631-1

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