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  • The politicization of cultural and religious differences in European societies has coincided with rising public opposition towards the European Union (EU) project in the last decade. In particular, the issue of EU enlargement has evoked strong opposition from European publics. However, the relationship between religion and mass attitudes towards EU enlargement remains understudied. Little is known about how religion affects public attitudes in different social, political and religious contexts. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate whether, how, and under what conditions religion shapes public perceptions of EU enlargement, and in particular, Turkey's EU accession. Drawing on social identity theory from political psychology and the literature on the governance of religious diversity, the study introduces an integrated multi-level approach to understand how religious identities and the context of state-religion-society relations in EU member states shape citizens' perceptions of an enlarging Europe and the inclusion of different candidate countries within the European Union. It posits that the way religious difference is constructed and treated within the national community--both through formal and informal means of religious regulation--provides the context through which in/out group boundaries become salient, thereby influencing citizens' openness to EU enlargement and to Turkish accession. The study investigates these claims through multi-level statistical analyses of public opinion survey data and in-depth case study comparisons. The statistical findings indicate that religious factors--both at the individual and country level--are important predictors of opposition towards EU enlargement, and in particular, Turkish accession. National religious context plays a powerful role in shaping public opposition to Turkish accession, mainly through reinforcing in-group identities and threat perception from religious others. Religious identity becomes activated against Turkish accession in contexts of high Muslim immigration and stronger political and social restrictions on religious diversity. Comparative case studies provide further evidence that public perceptions of Turkish accession are closely linked to national discourses on state, nation, and religious difference in different contexts. This study broadens our understanding of the determinants of popular attitudes towards the EU as well as the role of religion in shaping political behavior in secularized societies. (xsd:string)
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  • Contending identities in an enlarging europe: religion, context, and public perceptions of european union enlargement (xsd:string)
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