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Showing posts from May 15, 2025

Culture in Motion: A Man, a Cart, and the Weight of Tradition

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While traveling through Morocco these first few days, I was struck by the diversity of transportation methods; sleek and shiny cars, crowded buses, horse-drawn carriages all used to transport goods and people. Among the hum of engines and hooves, a scene stood out to me as we drove in a rural village to our fruit tour to iberry : a man slowly pushing a wooden cart piled high with colorful rugs.  No horse, no van,...just a man.  At first, it seemed like a simple question of access. Why didn’t he have a car? Or even a horse like others in the area? But those questions quickly pointed to deeper issues…about inequality, mobility, and the weight of preserving tradition. According to the United Nations Development Programme (2020), Morocco has made notable strides in reducing poverty, cutting the rate from 16.2% to under 9% over the past decade. For a country that lacks abundant natural resources, this is a significant achievement (Worldbank, 2018). As we heard from our Casablanca t...

Race, Ethnicity, Culture or Religion - Markeila Howard

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      As I’ve been traveling throughout Morocco, I’ve noticed that many aspects of identity, such as race, ethnicity, culture, and religion, are expressed differently than they are in the United States. Each has its own nuances and traditions. However, the one thing that truly stood out to me during my trip was the generosity and hospitality of Moroccan culture. It left a lasting impression on me within just the first few days.      In my experience back home in the U.S., people can sometimes be more reserved or hesitant to fully welcome someone who looks different or comes from a different background. Of course, that’s not true of everyone, but there is often a subtle emotional or social distance when interacting with those who are seen as “other.” That’s why the warmth I experienced in Morocco felt so heartwarming. It wasn’t just polite; it was genuine, open-hearted, and deeply cultural. From the moment we arrived, people treated ...

Race, Religion, Ethnicity, or Culture - Cooper Hardy

       Religion is always a major part of culture and the identity of a specific group of people. While here in Morocco, I have identified that the religion is Islam is a massive part of the country's identity, being as it is the designated religion of the country. The U.S. Department of State has estimated that of the 37.4 million people in the country, over 99% are Sunni Muslim, and the other 1% consists of groups of Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, and followers of the Baha’i Faith. (U.S. Department of State, 2024) This naturally means that the minority group of faiths becomes a designated out-group.       However, I have come to understand that the culture of Moroccans is synonymous with hospitality, and despite the religious differences of people, they still make conscious efforts to be inclusive to other religions. This is evident by the archaeology we saw at the Hassan II Mosque on Monday. Our tour guide explained to us that the three large ...