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
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.
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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
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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