The security relationship between India and Pakistan is generally viewed through a neo-realist approach of International Relations.. Treading on a different path, this book explains the rivalry of these countries by looking at the socio-cultural norms found at two levels, elites versus popular. Furthermore, it also conceptualizes a hypothetical India-Pakistan security community that could result in peace in the region.

The book describes how the rivalry between India and Pakistan is mostly centred on the elites of the two countries. It highlights the presence of a unique normative structure through social practices found at the popular level, and looks at how the common people of both India and Pakistan share many socio-cultural norms. Employing the theoretical framework of social constructivist approach of International Relations as well as the methodology of critical discourse analysis, the book discusses how an effort can be made to develop the concept of a bottom-up security community, from the popular to the elite level, and the impact this would potentially have for India and Pakistan.

An interesting and valuable approach for analysing these issues of security through the socio-cultural lens, this book is of interest to academics and scholars of South Asian Politics, Security Studies and International Relations.

Contents

1. Introduction 2. The India-Pakistan conflict: Social constructivism versus neo-realism neo-liberalism 3. The social constructivist security dilemma and the security community: the popular and elites’ social practices 4. The identities of India and Pakistan in the formative phase of state building: ideology as a key identity signifier 5. The Kashmir dispute: the quest of India and Pakistan identities and Kashmiriyat, the estranged Kashmir identity 6. India-Pakistan nuclear rivalry: the influence of ideology upon elites' social practices 7. Exploration of norms for a hypothetical security community between India and Pakistan 8. ConclusionAuthor Bio

Muhammad Shoaib Pervez is Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. His research interests include theories of international relations, focusing on social constructivism.