This project addresses two themes of the call, the emerging politics of threat and shifting identities and representations, in relation to the presence of Muslims in European public spheres. Through two phases of research, followed by an action phase involving civil society and policy actors, the project aims to (a) consider common discourses of threat accompanying the growing presence of Muslims in four European societies with different traditions of minority inclusion; (b) to move beyond such ‘problem oriented’ approaches by examining the shifting identities and representations of Muslims as these are emerging in an era of ‘democratic deficit’. A key aim is to identify individual and collective discourses, practices and strategies in the re-elaboration process of what it means to ‘be Muslim’ in a polarized Europe, by focusing on responses to stigmatization and exclusion. A final action phase (c) will seek to transfer innovative practices of engagement and dialogue across the different European contexts. The project will make use of an ethnographic approach that involves mapping cultural production and activism through extended engagement with Muslims in urban settings, and with a special focus on youth and gender. While acknowledging the discourses of threat that pervade representations of Muslims in European public spheres, the project distinguishes itself from much of the research that represents Muslim agency in a stultifying manner. By focusing on new forms of engagement and dialogue in collaboration with civil society actors, the project seeks to promote more inclusive societies in a period of growing anxiety and mistrust.

How European welfare states will develop is hard to predict. Peoples current aspirations, ideas and assumptions will be important drivers of change and persistence and of the extent to which conflict and solidarity surround change. This project uses innovative methods (deliberative democratic forums, a qualitative cross-national focus group survey) to develop understanding of peoples aspirations for the Europe their children will inhabit. The interactive and discursive methods proposed deal directly with peoples ideas, but are rarely used in comparative welfare studies. The project is essentially forward-looking. It will contribute to theoretical work on the main cleavages and solidarities driving social policy in different European welfare states and to more practical consideration of the parameters of acceptable policy change. It will supply new findings relevant to the politics and sociology of welfare and provide data for reanalysis and as a base-line in future studies. The team have led major cross-national projects and will press home findings in national and EU-level policy debate. The applicant will co-ordinate the work with the partners and an Advisory Board in three stages: - European-level literature review (co-ordination team); national reviews of attitudes to welfare and welfare politics (all partners); - Data gathering: Deliberative Forums and Focus Group studies (all partners); - Analysis, dissemination and engagement of research users (co-ordinating team/national partners). Co-ordination will be facilitated by setting clear objectives at each stage and will be pursued through conferences to assess progress, plan work, integrate findings and agree publication, dissemination and engagement strategies.

This project addresses two themes of the call, the emerging politics of threat and shifting identities and representations, in relation to the presence of Muslims in European public spheres. Through two phases of research, followed by an action phase involving civil society and policy actors, the project aims to (a) consider common discourses of threat accompanying the growing presence of Muslims in four European societies with different traditions of minority inclusion; (b) to move beyond such ‘problem oriented’ approaches by examining the shifting identities and representations of Muslims as these are emerging in an era of ‘democratic deficit’. A key aim is to identify individual and collective discourses, practices and strategies in the re-elaboration process of what it means to ‘be Muslim’ in a polarized Europe, by focusing on responses to stigmatization and exclusion. A final action phase (c) will seek to transfer innovative practices of engagement and dialogue across the different European contexts. The project will make use of an ethnographic approach that involves mapping cultural production and activism through extended engagement with Muslims in urban settings, and with a special focus on youth and gender. While acknowledging the discourses of threat that pervade representations of Muslims in European public spheres, the project distinguishes itself from much of the research that represents Muslim agency in a stultifying manner. By focusing on new forms of engagement and dialogue in collaboration with civil society actors, the project seeks to promote more inclusive societies in a period of growing anxiety and mistrust.

How European welfare states will develop is hard to predict. People?s current aspirations, ideas and assumptions will be important drivers of change and persistence and of the extent to which conflict and solidarity surround change. This project uses innovative methods (deliberative democratic forums, a qualitative cross-national focus group survey) to develop understanding of people?s aspirations for the Europe their children will inhabit. The interactive and discursive methods proposed deal directly with people?s ideas, but are rarely used in comparative welfare studies. The project is essentially forward-looking. It will contribute to theoretical work on the main cleavages and solidarities driving social policy in different European welfare states and to more practical consideration of the parameters of acceptable policy change. It will supply new findings relevant to the politics and sociology of welfare and provide data for reanalysis and as a base-line in future studies. The team have led major cross-national projects and will press home findings in national and EU-level policy debate. The applicant will co-ordinate the work with partners and an Advisory Board in three stages: - European-level literature review (co-ordination team); national reviews of attitudes to welfare and welfare politics (all partners); - Data gathering: Deliberative Forums and Focus Group studies (all partners); - Analysis, dissemination and engagement of research users (co-co-ordinating team/national partners). Co-ordination will be facilitated by setting clear objectives at each stage and will be pursued through conferences to assess progress, plan work, integrate findings and agree publication, dissemination and engagement strategies.