Morocco+Culture

=  Moroccan Culture =
 * History || Geography || Culture || Economics || Politics || Class Activities || Resources ||

While traveling to Morocco, it is important to understand the culture that exists within this country. The culture within Morocco is very warm and welcoming, with a focus on music, food, dress and art. Many aspects of the Moroccan culture are very different than the culture we are familiar with represented in the United States. Having an in depth understanding of the culture that exists today in Morocco will provide a better understanding of the people, traditions and beliefs within this country. Morocco is an ethnically diverse country, rich in culture and civilization. Throughout history, it has hosted people coming from the East (Jewish decent and Arabs), the South (sub-Saharan Africans), and North (Romans, including Moors and Jewish).

As of a recent estimate for July of 2012, the population of Morocco is 32,309,239 people. Within this population, 99% of the people are of the Arab-Berber ethnic group. The remaining 1% of the population is made up of other ethnic group(s). The most prevalent religions within Morocco are Muslims, making up 99% of the population, Christian, making up the remaining 1% of the population, and Jewish, consisting of approximately 6,000 people.

People living within Morocco speak a variety of different languages. The most common and official language spoken in Morocco is Arabic. People within the Arab-Berber ethnic group most commonly speak Amazigh, which is the official Berber language. Within the government and business world, the French language is spoken. This is considered the business or professional language.

Moroccan Culture and Society: The strongest influences on Moroccan culture and society are the country's Arabic and Berber roots. The national identity and culture of Morocco is strongly influenced by the cultural dialogue between Arab and Berber culture. Let's take a closer look at the Arab and Berber roots existing within Moroccan culture.

Berber: For at least 4,000 years, the Berbers, or Amazighs, have been in Morocco. This indigenous ethnic group of North Africa historically was believed to speak the Berber language, or varieties of it. Today, varieties of the Maghrebi colloquial Arabic language are spoken by the Berber population. The Berbers refer to themselves as Amazighs, meaning "free people" or "free and noble men." Within Morocco, the Berbers practice sedentary agriculture in the mountains and valleys throughout northern Africa. Within Morocco, some Berbers have always engaged in trade throughout the region, which had a large influence on the history of the African continent. The establishment of the trade routes from western Africa to the Mediterranean connected the people of southern Europe with much of sub-Saharan Africa over thousands of years ago. The Berber society is matriarchal, in which women play a very different role in society than in many other countries around the world. Within a matriarchal society, women hold much respect and power. Many women are viewed as rulers, and have control over a family, clan or tribe. During the millennia, the Berber culture denied assimilation, refusing to become one with the dominant culture, the Arabs. The Berber culture is most prevalent within the interior lands of Morocco with their roots in the mountains and the desert of the Moroccan land. The art and music of the Berber culture remain to be strong influences of the beliefs and customs seen within Berber peoples lifestyles.

Arab: The Arab people, also known as Arabs, primarily live in the Arab world most common in Western Asia and North Africa. An important part of the Arab identity is the tribal affiliations and intra-tribal relationships between the Arab and Berber ethnic groups. Over the centuries, the word "Arab" has had several different but overlapping meanings. In the Semantic languages, the word "Arab" conveys a meaning of "west/sunset," "desert," "mingle," "merchant" and "raven." All of these meanings have relevance to the emergence of the Arab name. During the rise of Islam, the religious identity of Arabs defined the Arab identity. Many Arabs followed religious beliefs of the Islamic faith, and considered themselves people of Islam. Today however, many Arabs are of Muslim religious belief. Within Morocco, the Arab culture draws together the common themes and overtones found in predominately Arab countries. In Arabic culture, the people believe in one Allah; Allah is one, eternal, creator, and sovereign. Arab culture generally has a very patriarchal view, believing men are of power. Although women are sometimes viewed with positions of power, many women are given little to no rights within the Arab culture. This is one of the major differences, causing continual conflict between the Berber and Arab cultures of northern Africa. The Arab culture places a strong emphasis on art, architecture, music and literature.

The culture of Morocco is strongly influenced by both the Arab and Berber culture. Historically, Morocco has been successful at combining the cultural heritage of Berber, Arabic, and Jewish. The Moroccan culture is most well known for their cuisine, literature, music and sports. Along with these well known attributes of Moroccan culture, the beautiful landscapes of Morocco and the famous monuments and architectural establishments help to define Morocco.

Cuisine: The cuisine in Morocco is considered one of the most diversified cuisines in the world, resulting from Morocco's interaction with the outside world for many continuous centuries. The cuisine is mainly Berber-Moorish, European, and Mediterranean. Within Moroccan food, spices are used quite frequently. The spices used within foods are what creates the unique flavor of many Moroccan dishes. Many of these spices have been, and are still currently imported to Morocco from other countries for thousands of years. Many other ingredients used within familiar Moroccan dishes are home grown, such as saffron, mint, olives, oranges, and lemons. The most common meat eaten in Morocco is chicken. People living in Morocco enjoy a variety of red meats, most commonly served with larger meals. The most common red meats eaten in Morocco are beef and lamb. Although lamb is widely preferred by many Moroccans, it is expensive and shared among families during sacred celebrations. The most famous dish in Morocco is Couscous, which is a North African dish of semolina, similar to pasta, traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Other popular dishes in Morocco are pastilla (an elaborate meat pie), tajine, and harira (a soupy dish). The most preferred drink in Morocco is green tea with mint.Pastries are also very common within the Moroccan culture.



Dining Etiquette: If you are invited to a Moroccan's house: Literature: The literature in Morocco is written in Arabic, Berber and French. Modern Moroccan literature began in the 1930's. The birth of modern literature in Morocco came as the French and Spanish protectorate provided Moroccans the opportunity to exchange and produce literary works with other Arabic literature and Europe. During the 1950's and 1960's, many popular writers came to the forefront, producing literary works interesting the vast population of Morocco. Some well know writers included: Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams, and William S. Burroughs. Many popular novelists, who wrote mainly in Arabic, became very popular during this time as well. These novelists include: Mohamed Zafzaf, Mohamed Choukri, Driss Chraibi, and Tahar Ben Jelloun who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include: Abdellatif Laabi, Abdelkarim Ghellab, Fouad Laroui, Mohammed Berrada and Leila Abouzeid. Either in Moroccan Arabic or Amazigh, the oral literature (orature) is an important part of Moroccan culture.
 * You should remove your shoes.
 * Dress smartly. Doing so demonstrates respect towards your hosts.
 * Check to see if your spouse is included in the invitation. Conservative Moroccans may not entertain mixed-sex groups.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shake everyone's hand individually.

Music: <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Morocco is home to Andalusian classical music that is found throughout North Africa. The music is of Amazigh, Arab and sub-Saharan origins. The most popular type of music in Morocco is chaabi. The rock-influenced bands are widespread with historical origins in Muslim music. Chaabi consists of numerous varieties descended from many forms of Moroccan folk music. Typically chaabi was only performed in the markets, but today it is seen at any Moroccan celebration or meeting. Trance music and Muslim music are other popular forms of music heard throughout Morocco. Both type of music are strongly linked with the Muslim faith and have historical roots within the Muslim beliefs. Many western types of music are becoming very popular in Morocco today. This type of music consists of fusion, rock, country, metal, and most commonly, hip hop.

Sports: <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">At the end of the 19th century, Morocco was introduced to many European influenced sports. These sports, consisting of football (soccer), polo, swimming, and tennis are all popular sports within Moroccan culture today. Football is the country's premier sport, most popular among the urban youth. As of 2007, Moroccan society participates in many sports we are familiar with in the United States, such as handball, association football, golf, tennis, kickboxing, basketball and athletics (track and field). Morocco participates in the Olympic Games and has won a variety of medals, gold, silver and bronze, when competing. Some well known athletes within the Moroccan culture include: <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Nawal El Moutawakel: first women from and Arab or Islamic country to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in a track and field event. <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hicham El Guerrouj: a retired middle distance runner for Morocco who won two gold metals for Morocco at the 2004 Summer Olympics. <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Badr Hari: a heavyweight kickboxer and martial artist who is known as a former K-1 heavyweight champion and a K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 finalist.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The family is viewed as something of great importance within the Moroccan culture. Within Morocco, families follow a core system of values and beliefs, which greatly affect the family structure. Moroccan Family Values: Meeting Etiquette: Education: <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Education in Morocco is free and required by law through primary school (grade 8, approximate age of 15). Even though required by law and provided with no costs, many children do not attend school. Specifically in rural areas, it is common for girls to not attend school. Many children living within Morocco who do attend school end up dropping out after elementary school. In Morocco, being literate is defined as being able to read and write by age 15. The current literacy rates within Morocco illustrate the extreme gaps in education mainly by gender, but also by location. Approximately 65.7% of the male population within Morocco is defined as literate. In comparison, only 39.6% of the female population is defined as literate, according to the 2004 census. In rural areas, the literacy rate for females is much lower and is estimated at only 10% of females living within these areas being defined as literate. Children who do stay in school are expected to stay in school for an average of 10 years, while males are expected to stay in school for 11 to 12 years. The curriculum within the Moroccan school system is based off of an American model.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The family is the most significant unit of Moroccan life and plays an important role in all social relations.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The family consists of both the nuclear and the extended family.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The individual is always subordinate to the family or group.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Nepotism is viewed positively, since it indicates patronage of one's family.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The elderly are revered and respected and often exert a great influence on the rest of the family.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[[image:hello.jpg align="right"]]
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Handshakes are the customary greeting between individuals of the same sex.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Handshakes may be somewhat weak according to western standards.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Once a relationship has developed, it is common to kiss on both cheeks, starting with the left cheek while shaking hands, men with men and women with women.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In any greeting that does take place between men and women, the woman must extend her hand first. If she does not, a man should bow his head in greeting.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">When entering a social function, shake hands with the person to your right and then continue around the room going from right to left.
 * <span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Say good-bye to each person individually when leaving.

<span style="color: #310080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">One of the most famous public universities is located in Morocco's capital, Rabat. This university provides students the opportunity to study law, sciences, liberal arts, and medicine. This famous university is known as Muhammad V University. Morocco is also the home to fourteen other public universities.

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Resources: http://www.hilalplaza.com/islamic-culture/Morocco/Morocco_Muslim_culture.html http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/The-United-Kingdom-of-Morocco.html http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/moroco