Thinking Smart About Moroccan Culture

While Morocco is a very different culture with different cultural dynamics, in some ways, it is quite similar to the United States. The piece of information that surprised me the most was in regards to the food and drinks that can be found in Morocco. In Culture Smart, York explains, “there is no dearth of restaurants in country… Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech are filled with restaurants of just about every variety, from Senegalese to sushi to KFC (see image below)” (York, 108). I knew that Morocco was a globalized society and that they had food from all over the world, but something about having a KFC in Morocco just really shocked me. I think this is because Morocco tends to have foods that are good for your body and often are not as artificial and KFC is quite the opposite. Another piece of information that surprised me was when York explains that alcohol, especially beer (see image below), is widely available within the country (York, 110). This shocked me because given that Morocco is a Muslim country, I assumed that alcohol would have been minimal if not available at all. It is evident that while Morocco is a different culture, there are many aspects that are quite similar to the United States.





















One norm that will be a challenge for me to adjust to is the schedule in Morocco and the way in which Moroccans go about their daily lives. Often times the schedules are very flexible with minimal structure. While Moroccans do have a lose schedule, often times they will value what is happening in the moment especially if it is spending time with family (York, 93). This will be the biggest challenge for me to adjust to because I am very strict in my scheduling and tend to get uncomfortable when I am not following it. Working through this challenge will be difficult while in Morocco simply because that is how I am used to living and have been since college started three years ago. However difficult it may be, I am intrigued to learn how others have a similar viewpoint on living their daily lives.

Cultural dimensions or worldview tendencies (see image below) describe the effect of society’s culture on the values of its members. There are a plethora of worldview tendencies that are reflected in the system in the text. One worldview that is presented throughout all of the text is the idea of collectivism over individualism. This is evident through the ideas that Moroccans value loyalty to superiors and the family over anything else. As York notes “the family is perhaps the most important aspect of Moroccan society…”(50). Furthermore, the gender divide is evident throughout the text.


These worldviews are directly reflected in Moroccans’ values and norms through a multitude of different ways. First, Moroccans value respect and the norm is for the bridegroom to first ask his parents’ permission (York, 51). In doing so, the hierarchy and focusing on the long-term good of the family becomes evident. Second, it is the norm for the family to live together or within close proximity of one another (York, 51). Because Moroccans live collectively, value family loyalty and the gender hierarchy, it is represented through their values and norms.



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