CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

During the past week of exploring Morocco, I have observed how specified gender roles are here. While gender stereotypes exist in the United States, they are not as prevalent as they are in Morocco. Moroccan women have become much more educated in today’s time than in the past, which has led to an increasing number of women in the labor market, however, they are usually working along with other women or children (Pels, 2000). After visiting many production sites and packing houses, it has become evident that women often observe and clean the products to help ensure they are ready for packaging. Men, however, seem to be more on the operational side of things and handle more complex machinery. I have also noticed that men in restaurants usually take orders and bring food out, while women do more cleaning and cooking. Traditional Muslim culture often bases its social customs around societal and familial male dominance and women are usually not a part of business transactions (Gray & F...

  In Morocco, I couldn't help but notice the persistence of certain gender roles, influencing the division of labor and societal dynamics. Take, for example, the common sight of women working in packing houses within the factories we visited. It was often said during the tours,  that women’s attention to detail makes them preferred for such tasks.  During my travels through Moroccan cities, I couldn't overlook the distinct gender dynamics evident in various social environments. In places like cafes, it was mostly men who were present . While during school tours, the majority of the students were female.  Despite these advancements in education, there's a striking disparity between the school population and the workforce. During the school visits, one of the tour guides explained that women often prioritize caregiving responsibilities, opting to stay at home and care for their children. This decision, they emphasized, is often influenced by traditional gender norms an...

       In the U.S., there is a very fluid attitude when it comes to the perception of the homeless population. Some people feel as if homeless people didn't work hard enough or were irresponsible in order to be in the situation they find themselves in. On the other hand, others feel compassion for people who have lost their livelihood for a multitude of reasons. Many times, you will see people on the road with signs asking for money or food, which many ignore and many give. With the current economic situation in the U.S., homelessness is more common and therefore people are more likely to be generous.      In Morocco, citizens who ask for shelter, food or money from other citizens are named as "beggars". Beggars in Morocco are those that have the lowest social status, where a lot of them were farmers who lived in rural areas that were forced out by aridity. Because of the disastrous  environmental factors, the majority of  farmers in Mo...

        When I went rug shopping in Fes recently, I became even more fascinated with these beautiful fabrics when the dealer, Ali, gave me information about their cultural importance. These carpets are more than simply floor coverings in Morocco; they are living relics, each with its own history. Made by women from many tribes, they stand for empowerment, tradition, and legacy. According to Ali, a sizeable percentage of rug sales revenue goes toward supporting the Moroccan women who made the rugs, which gives the rugs' exquisite craftsmanship an emotional touch. Moroccan-style carpets have characteristic high piles and a luscious softness. They are mostly made of wool. They are highly sought-after for both usefulness and ornament since, in contrast to their counterparts, they have patterns that are both tidy and soothing. Moroccan rugs have their roots in Northern Africa and the Sahara, where Berber women woven them around 622 AD. These rugs, which were handed down t...

  When I spoke with Dr. Anderson before applying for this study abroad program, I was intrigued by the diversity of languages spoken in Morocco. Yet, even with this knowledge, the reality of Morocco's linguistic landscape still caught me by surprise. Morocco's linguistic diversity stems from its rich history, with Arabic and Berber spoken for centuries, and French introduced during the colonial era. Recently, English has gained prominence as Morocco integrates into the global economy. Education is a key area where language proficiency impacts social status. Modern Standard Arabic is the main language of instruction in public schools, with Moroccan Darija used colloquially, while French dominates higher education and specialized fields, often correlating with better academic and career opportunities.  Morocco now expects students to be quadrilingual, causing friction among conservative and Islamist-leaning politicians. A recent bill mandates secondary school students gain profi...

  The female workforce in Morocco is very interesting to me. One group and identity that we saw was women in Morocco that are educated but do not hold a job to stay home with their family and children.   World Bank Blogs stated, " For men, this decline is mostly present in youth mainly because of greater education enrollment, while for women this phenomenon touches all ages and is not necessarily correlated with education enrollment"  (Lopez-Acevedo et al., 2024) . This was consistent to what I heard the students at ENA university speak of during lunch as we toured their university. When I asked them what percentage of students make of female/male student population, their response was that their school was around 70% female and 30% male. This is a huge discrepancy, and one that is incredibly impactful to this country. The students from ENA went on to say that women stay at home upon completing their education and men find it hard to sacrifice work for school, so mos...

Before coming to Morocco, my assumptions on Muslim countries were that gender roles are incredibly strict. My aunt, who has lived in Bangladesh for over 25 years now, has spent my lifetime explaining the culture and exposing my family to traditions and cultures outside of what we have in our everyday lives in America. In Bangladesh, she is not able to go out of her home without being accompanied by a man, and when she does go out, she is covered from head to toe. I always thought this was a forced thing upon women, as my Aunt is a non-Muslim in a Muslim country and is required to wear the traditional dress. Now I see just how wrong my assumptions were.  The women I have seen and spoken to, discuss the pride they have in their religion and culture. It is a sign of self-respect and respect to others to dress conservatively and to cover hair. I have noticed the level of sacred respect that the men (particularly the generation above my own) have for women. Of course there are outliers ...