This field study investigates the intricate relationship between Friday sermon (khutba) and the worshippers’ public opinion in Jordan. Prompted by the taboo label assigned to scholarship on khutba, it probes whether the agenda-setting, framing and priming process in mass communication (the media) applies to public communication (the mosque). Field observations (six months with three Informants) crosscut with conclusions drawn from in-depth interviews with concerned actors, thematic content analysis of 24 different khutbas in Amman and Zarqa, analysis of relevant coverage in the print and online media, and a questionnaire to 200 mosque-goers. The period covered is 2008 till 2013, crosscutting the Arab Spring and its ensuing political change. The hypothesis is that in a marketplace for loyalties, the preacher can impact his worshippers’ perception of reality in as much as he can circumvent State regulations and meet his audience’s expectations by setting their agenda re khutba theme and its attributes.
Odeh Madanat, P., ‘The role of Friday sermon in shaping the opinion of the worshippers in Jordan’ (Unpublished doctoral thesis:Â Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2016).
I agree to the terms outlined below:
You agree to upload and assign Mosqpedia Database the rights to use the content worldwide and in perpetuity across all current and future media platforms. Mosqpedia Database may edit, copy, adapt and translate your contribution.
The content will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Deed – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International – Creative Commons
All data will be stored in line with data protection regulations.