CAES Morocco: Advanced Leadership Theories, Ethics, and Culture

Almost immediately upon arriving in Casablanca I saw many cafes along the streets with seats lining the sidewalks. As we have traveled through Morocco I have continued to see many of these cafes with outdoor seating, some large with many seats, others small with a couple of seats. The reoccurring theme I noticed with these coffee shops was the heavy male presence sitting outside at what seems like all hours of day. I did notice that there were many older men sitting outside, but there were also many younger, working age men partaking as well. Some shops had tvs outside, some men played games, but the majority seemed to just sit with their tea or coffee, smoking cigarettes, and watched the streets. While many sat together, it did not seem like much conversation was going on. So I began to wonder if this is a cultural phenomena, and where were the women, as I see the same scene in both cities and very rural areas through the bus window. In an article from the Morocco World News I learned

       Morocco, as a country, has an interesting racial and ethnic makeup. Moroccan culture has traces of European, African, and Amazigh influences. The Amazigh (formally Berber) culture is probably the most influential, given it is native to the country. This ethnic group has inhabited Morocco for centuries. Interestingly enough, this native group and the country as a whole are undergoing an image change.       In the past, this native group of people was known as Berbers. For many years, individuals worldwide and within Morocco referred to this ethnic group as Berbers. During our tour of Chefchaouen, we learned a language shift is happening within Moroccan culture. Our tour guide explained that the name Berber came from the Latin term barbar, which meant barbarian. The Amazigh have moved away from embracing the name Berber because it is offensive and misrepresents who they were and are as a culture. The Amazigh tribes had sophisticated systems of life and their own civilization hundr

     The culture in Morocco has so far been very different from what you find in the US. Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country and the majority of its people are of Arabic origin. While they might belong to a different culture, Moroccans are still generally very friendly and inviting people. Over the start of this trip, we have been lucky enough to meet many of the locals. The more formal interactions almost always started with a cup of mint tea and Moroccan biscuits. This is considered a sign of respect and a way to greet people. Mint tea is a staple of Moroccan culture and has been something that we have commonly seen throughout Morocco. The biscuits are an assortment of sweet snacks that are made often with nuts, dates, honey, and chocolate. The people on the streets and workers at the hotels have also been very gracious to us. They all have been excited to meet us and were interested in the fact that we were American. At the hotel where we stayed in Rabat, we meet two Moroccans