Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Public opinion toward Muslims and the Islamic faith has become increasingly important not only because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the ongoing American war efforts in the Middle East, but also because of the growing presence of Muslims in the American citizenry. However, very little is known about how the American public feels about Muslims and Muslim Americans or the factors shaping such feelings. In this paper, we use data from a nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and from the 2004 National Election Study to assess the opinions that Americans hold of both Muslims and Muslim Americans and to examine the variables shaping such evaluations. We find that partisanship and ideology play a relatively minor role in determining these attitudes, while evaluations of Muslims and Muslim Americans are shaped substantially by evaluations of other cultural "outgroups," such as Atheists, gays and lesbians, African-Americans, and even Jews.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The party identification of various racial and ethnic minority groups within the United States has become an important topic as the size and variety of all minority groups have grown since the 1960s. While several scholars have investigated partisanship among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos, less research has been done the political identification of religious minorities. Consequently, a gap exists in the literature regarding the political leanings of Muslim Americans and other non-Christian denominations, as their place in American society has become more permanent. In particular, Muslim Americans represent one of the most interesting cases in party identification, as a group with seemingly unstable partisanship and very high rates of non-affiliation with political parties in the U.S. In this paper we argue that the rhetoric and positions of American political parties on issues relating to Islam create a dilemma for Muslims in the U.S. Given the inherent Christian structure of American politics, we contend that the most religious Muslims Americans will not find a place on the traditional partisan spectrum.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study is an examination of the ethnic media use of French and British Muslims. A total of 1198 Muslims and non-Muslims participated in the study. The analysis reveals being an immigrant or a native of a nation does not significantly influence ethnic media use in France, but does in Britain. Ethnic identification was also revealed as an influential predictor of ethnic media use among Muslims in both countries. Religiosity also yielded significant influence as a predictor of ethnic media use among the British Muslim population, but not among the French Muslim population. Differences between the French and British Muslim population is attributed to diversity in the two samples; the British sample has Sunni and Shia Muslims, while the French sample has only Sunni Muslims. The article concludes by arguing religiosity and ethnic identification should be included in studies examining media use among ethnic groups.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study is an examination of the relationship between religiosity and ethnic identification of Muslims and non-Muslims in France and Britain. A total of 1198 Muslims and non-Muslims participated in the study. The analysis reveals Muslims have higher levels of ethnic identification and religiosity than non-Muslims do. Furthermore, the results yielded a significant correlation between ethnic identification and religiosity in both nations (r = .777 in France and r = .721 in Britain); demonstrating individuals with high religiosity tend to have high ethnic identification. The article concludes by arguing religiosity and ethnic identification should be included in communication studies attempting to analyze culture on an individual level.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Body acquires new representations through its interplay with the market. The market produces and legitimizes selected representations of the body while the body legitimizes new forms of production and economic relationships on itself. A novel manifestatio