CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

An identity difference that has become noticeable especially since traveling to the southern regions is social status. While social status exists in every country, I have observed that economic class and access to resources can greatly influence daily life opportunities, education, and even social interactions in Morocco. Traveling through both urban and rural areas has given me a better understanding of how social status shapes communities and affects people's experiences differently.  Morocco has made major economic progress over the past several decades (Oqubay, n.d.), made apparent during our tour of the port, but income inequality and poverty still remain significant issues especially in rural regions. Access to education, healthcare, transportation, and employment opportunities often differs between wealthier urban populations and lower income rural communities. In cities such as Casablanca, there are modern business, tourism industries, and growing economic opportunities, ...

      For this blog, I have chosen to focus on mental disorders--specifically anxiety, mood, and neurodevelopmental disorders, as recognized by the World Health Organization in a 2025 article--and how availability of institutional support for these conditions impacts Moroccan citizens.       A Moroccan Arabic version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) reports that "among 5,498 subjects interviewed, 40.1% had at least one current mental disorder," with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder most commonly reported. Interestingly, according to the tests, these mental disorders were most prevalent among "female, urban, divorced, and unemployed subjects"  (Kadri et al., 2009). As of 2007, there were no more than 350 psychiatrists in Morocco, a country of 37 million, and more recent reports have counted a very slight increase (Moussaoui, 2007). With a concerningly large portion of the MINI test subjects reporting st...

 Blog 3: Sexual Orientation or Gender Roles During our time in country, one thing that has particularly stood out to me is the complete lack of public displays of affection. These displays, such as a kiss on the cheek, hand holding, hugging, or putting an arm around someone, are so commonplace in the United States that no one gives them a second glance. In Morocco, however, relationships and sexuality appear to be treated much more privately. This observation prompted me to think more deeply about how homosexuality is viewed and expressed within Moroccan society. Since I have not seen any heterosexual PDA, I have certainly not observed any homosexual PDA. Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, and cultural and religious values strongly influence public attitudes surrounding sexuality and relationships. According to the Pew Research Center (2020), attitudes toward homosexuality tend to be less accepting in countries where religion plays a major role in daily life and cultur...