Work

Does interstate conflict affect attitudes towards domestic minorities? Evidence from India

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: In multiethnic societies, domestic minority groups are frequently associated with external adversaries. In such situations, external confrontations may potentially exacerbate internal ethnic conflict by increasing intolerance toward the domestic minority. Alternatively, they may result in rallying the public around a common superordinate national identity. We examine the case of India, which has a long-running rivalry with Muslim-majority Pakistan. Through a large (n = 7052) survey experiment, we find little evidence that a hypothetical crisis with Pakistan worsens attitudes toward India's large Muslim minority. Instead, we find that such a crisis may improve intergroup cohesion within India, improving tolerance towards Muslim minorities.

Source: Political Science Research and Methods

DOI: 10.1017/psrm.2024.47

Authors: Christopher Clary, Sameer Lalwani, Niloufer Siddiqui, Neelanjan Sircar

Institutions: State University of New York, University at Albany, State University of New York, United States Institute of Peace, Ahmedabad University

Language: English

Topic: Social and Intergroup Psychology

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450