Gestions du nouveau pluralisme religieux dans les villes canadiennes. Établissement de mosquées et mécanismes de personnalisation des canaux de médiation à Montréal et à Laval

What is it about?

How does one account for the different processes of institutionalization of places of worship in different cities? To answer this question, the article analyses the establishment of Muslim places of worship in Montréal and Laval. Using a neo-institutional approach, I demonstrate how institutional configurations – characterised by the following: the state of intergovernmental relations; the discourses surrounding the accommodation of ethno-cultural and ethno-religious demands; the relations among local actors, especially elected officials and municipal public servants; and forms of mediation between municipalities and ethno-religious groups – impact on the processes of institutionalization, and this, through a mechanism, the degree of personalisation of mediation channels. My principal hypothesis is that personalisation of mediation channels leads to a political process of institutionalization whereas non-personalisation of these channels leads to an administrative one.

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