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Mobilizing Against Mosques: The Origins Of Opposition To Islamic Centers Of Worship In Spain

Date Added

17/07/2019

Content Type

Dissertation

Category

Ph.D.

Link to Content

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Author

Avraham Y. Astor

Publisher Name

the University of Michigan

Year of Publication

2011


Description


This dissertation would not have been possible without the support that I received both in Spain and in Michigan. I am appreciative of the time that those whom I interviewed in Spain took to share their stories and opinions with me. As a foreigner, I was initially quite timid and anxious to engage with people about a topic that aroused so much controversy and emotion. However, nearly everyone that I interviewed conveyed a sense of appreciation for my interest in their lives, and provided thoughtful and forthright answers to my questions. I give special thanks to Angel Vendrell, Jordi Merino, and Myriam Boiza for taking me through their neighborhoods and assisting me with my recruitment of respondents. I am also grateful to Ricard Zapata Barrero and the Interdisciplinary Research Group in Immigration (GRITIM) at Pompeu Fabra University for providing me with needed resources and opportunities for critical feedback during the course of my fieldwork. Although it is impossible to acknowledge all of those who assisted me while in Spain, I wish to mention several scholars whose input was particularly useful for my work: Jordi Moreras, Mikel Aramburu, Teresa Losada, Joan Estruch, Bernabé López García, Alex Seglers, Enrique Santamaría Lorenzo, Elena Arigita, María del Mar Griera Llonch, Juli Ponce Solé, and Javier Rosón. I also give great thanks to Gemma Pinedo de Pedro for being a wonderful roommate and putting up with my idiosyncrasies while I lived in Barcelona. iv I am deeply indebted to my professors at Michigan for the guidance and support that they provided throughout the course of this project. The co-chairs of my committee, Peggy Somers and Howard Kimeldorf, warrant special mention for the instrumental role that they played in helping me to frame and write my dissertation. Peggy‟s rich knowledge of social theory and sensitivity to issues of culture and narrative were very influential in shaping the theoretical framing of my study. And Howard‟s critical, yet constructive feedback was essential for pushing me forward at each stage of the writing process. I am also grateful to Genevieve Zubrzycki and Andrew Shryock for their helpful input on prior drafts of dissertation chapters and their general advice as I carried out my research. I would additionally like to acknowledge the generous funding and support I have received during graduate school from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius ZEIT-Stiftung, and the University of Michigan‟s Department of Sociology, Rackham Graduate School, European Union Center, and Program in Comparative Literature, without which this project would not have been possible. The fellowships and grants that I received from these institutions and departments made it possible for me to spend over two years conducting fieldwork in Spain. They also gave me the opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars, and conferences through which I received valuable feedback and contacts. And last, but certainly not least, I am deeply grateful for the support I received from my friends and family. I developed a lot, both personally and intellectually, from my conversations and relationships with my fellow graduate students at Michigan: Kim v Greenwell, David Hutson, Alex Gerber, Eric Eide, Katherine Luke, Mariana Craciun, Camilo Leslie, Dave Dobbie, Baris Büyükokutan, Chris Roberts, Chris Gauthier, Sadia Saeed, Atef Said, Ursula Lawrence, Marco Garrido, and David Flores. I also give warm and special thanks to my parents, Carl and Sharon, my sister, Sara, and my brother, Donny, for their unconditional love and encouragement.


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Avraham Y. Astor

The University of Michigan

2011

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