Role of Identities in the Indo-Pak Relations: A Study in Constructivism

Abstract

The history of Pakistan-India relations is full of conflicts ever since the partition of the sub-continent in 1947 and is much evident with respect to major and minor wars together with border skirmishes as a routine job. The rivalry between the two nation-states is generally studied in the context of realism. However, this research aimed to study the role of social institutions in the formation of identities resulting in hostile relations between the two nationstates. The research has undergone a thorough analysis of social institutions considered influential in any society with respect to identity formation. The study found that social institutions of education, media, religion, and politics have played a significant role in the construction of interstate hostile identities. It is found that utilization of ideas, and norms practiced in social institutions, has constructed the identities that resulted in hostile behavioral patterns in the masses of two South Asian nation-states.