The Impact of Interpersonal Discrimination on Identity Formation and Function Status among Religious Minorities in Pakistan

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the impact of interpersonal discrimination on identity formation and functional status among Christian minority in Pakistan. A Cross sectional research design was used in the research, with a total sample size of N = 300 Christians (n=160) males and (n=140) women. Purposive sampling was used to gather data both in-person and online from churches and universities. Participants filled out three self-report questionnaires assessing interpersonal discrimination, identity formation and functional status. Pearson correlational coefficient, simple linear regression and t-test were used to test the hypothesis. The result showed a significant negative correlational of interpersonal discrimination with functional status(r = -.23, p <.001) and identity formation (r = -.25, p <.001). Furthermore, simple linear regression analysis showed that interpersonal discrimination strongly predicted a reduction in functional status (β = -0.23, p <.001) and a weakening with identity formation (β = -0.25, p <.001). These findings suggest that interpersonal discrimination had a negative impact on the functional status and identity formation of Pakistan's Christian minority. This study has implications for developing tolerance programs and relaxation workshops to counteract the effects of discrimination, emphasizing the importance of counselling services to improve self-esteem and coping skills, as well as policy measures like anti-discrimination training and equal access to resources to reduce discrimination against minorities.