Gabbi Goes to Morocco

In America, we often times say that value our right to privacy. Indeed the U.S. Supreme Court has made landmark rulings arguing that we have a constitutional right to privacy . While human beings have an innate propensity to affiliate with other human beings, humans also cannot tolerate extended physical contact with others and do have a need for privacy. However, how much privacy one needs, varies significantly across cultures. The U.S. and Morocco are two countries that have drastically different views on privacy. First, in his book on communication, Dr. Neuliep lays out four different types of privacy: solitude or being away from observation of others; intimacy, being with another person but away from the outside world; anonymity, or the state of being unknown in a crows; and reserve, or unwanted intrusion. The type and degree or privacy desired depends largely on the type of behavior in which one engages, the culture, and the individual personality traits. Dr. Neuliep argues t...

Cultural dimensions or worldview tendencies describe the effect of society’s culture on the values of its members. There are six main cultural dimensions: individualism-collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity-femininity, long-term orientation, and indulgence (see image below) . Every culture has their own unique interactions of cultural dimensions. The values and norms of a culture both impact and are a product of cultural dimensions. In the United States, we tend to value individualism and personal self interests over collectivism. One of Hsu’s postulates of basic American values asserts: “an individual’s most important concern is self-interest, self-expression, self-improvement, self-gratification, and independence. This takes precedence over all group interests.” Furthermore, America, like many other individualistic cultures, is uncertainty-oriented, meaning that we will directly engage in activities that will seek information to resolve the uncerta...

Dream of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi explores her childhood perspective growing up in Fez, Morocco. The novel, which takes place during the 1940s, includes many stories about how numerous family members influenced her ideas about gender and equality. While Mernissi discusses a wide variety of themes, the themes within the novel revolve around gender differences and inequality. Theme 1: Space, Architecture, and Boundaries The architecture of the harem, or traditional Moroccan home, served as the physical structure that separated men and women. Within the harem, there is a courtyard that is located directly in the center that is often decorated with gardens and fountains and even more important, natural sunlight. The courtyard was surrounded by arched colonnade that was supported by four columns; each had marble on the top and bottom. Moreover, a gigantic gate protected each courtyard (4). On all sides of the courtyard were salons. In the book, Mernissi explains that each salon...

During my D-term trip to Morocco, it is hard to pick just one place that I want to visit! However, more than anything, I want to visit the Moroccan Medina in Fez. I chose the Medina of Fez because of the historical significance and cultural past ( see image below ). A Medina is the old part of the city that is often found in many countries in North Africa. The Medina is typically walled and contains narrow streets, fountains, and mosques. The Medina is often times car-free because there is not enough space for cars to pass in the alleyways. The word Medina means city or town in modern-day Arabic. The Medina of Fez ( see image below ) is located in the lowlands between the Rif and Middle Atlas mountain ranges in Northern Morocco.  The Medina of Fez was founded in the 9 th century and is home to the oldest university in the world, University of Al-Karaouine . The Medina holds numerous monumental buildings and the memory of the capital ...