Aleksandra Lojek-Magdziarz Current Project Aleksandra Lojek-Magdziarz Curriculum Vitae PhD Thesis Current Project Department: Sociology Name of Supervisor: Cornelia Sorabji Brief overview of research project and major accomplishments expected: Research in England shall be a continuation of the research "Why do Poles covert to Islam"? The findings from the research carried out in Poland were, inter alia, that Polish converts into Islam (whose number raised significantly after WTC attack) have made their decision about changing their faith system mainly due to the fact that they seemed to be disappointed with the Catholic Church (not Christianity, but rather how it is realized by the institution). Also, one of the principal reasons was the feeling of alienation within the society and the need to belong to a group. There were rarely any political reasons (like support for Palestine or cultural and political anti-Semitism which has been often attributed to Poles). Also, some influence of Muslim emissaries from Saudi Arabia, etc, can be observed (on Polish websites run by Polish converts), however, it still does not create any substantial danger of radicalization of the new Polish Muslims. Polish converts have chosen Islam, as they could learn about it easily from the mass media and subsequently, as their interest in the religion grew, they could meet other Muslims to confront their knowledge and to learn more – thus, availability of Islam has been one of the main factors, too (several years ago in Poland Buddism was as popular as Islam is now)

I would like to interview some British converts to Islam (with no Islamic background, such as Muslim family ,.etc) to try to spot the reasons of the conversions and to compare them with the outcomes from the research performed in Poland. Long-term career objectives (over 5 years): Goals: obtaining PhD in sociology, teaching at university, continuation of the research among the converts, as their number is growing What further research activity or other training is needed to attain these goals? Fieldwork continuation, perhaps some courses o sociology of conversion Short-term objectives (1-2 years): Research results Anticipated publications: on conversion to Islam in England , compared reasons for conversion between Poles and Britons Anticipated conference, workshop attendance, courses, and /or seminar presentations: I would like to run an independent course on conversion to Islam (combining sociological, psychological perspective with case studies, based on the research made in Poland and England). Research Skills and techniques: Training in specific new areas, or technical expertise etc: how to carry out fieldwork, mastering in-depth interviews, applying relevant methodologies to my research Research management: Acquiring data, informants, funds for the research Communication skills: Organizing workshops, presentations of the outcomes of my research (written and oral presentation depending on the demand) Other professional training (course work, teaching activity): course organization, writing curricula and syllabi, teaching techniques Anticipated networking opportunities - developing good cooperation with the institutions I am enrolled with, creating a network between my colleagues – participants in the program and Polish side. Other activities (community, etc) with professional relevance: management of my own professional career and the careers of my peers in Poland (assistance)