CAES Morocco: Advanced Leadership Theories, Ethics, and Culture

I have been fortunate enough to live in many places in the US, being both a have and a have not. In the spirit of vulnerability, when I was born, my family was on food stamps. My parents had the opportunity to work their way up the level of success they have strived for. That is not always the case in America, but I noticed just how much more difficult that is in Morocco. Driving around, you see people of all ages, genders, and abilities begging for money or food on the side of the streets. In that same drive, you also see Porsches driving alongside the bus as you drive past one of the seventeen palaces the King owns, as well as the other palaces foreign diplomats and royal families have.  The prevalence of begging is also something that cannot go unnoticed as it is everywhere in Morocco, whether is be coming up and asking for money or offering/forcing a product or service. It is not just to  tourists either. It is to anyone presumably wealthy. Something I found interesting was when we

  In Morocco, I noticed that there does not appear to be a distinct middle class. From passing through the diplomatic neighborhoods in Tangier to the wealthy neighborhoods in Marrakech, I did not see a lot of in-between living. First, in Morocco there is extreme poverty seen on the streets of cities where begging is very normal, even from children. Next, most of the cars seen are either very nice, luxury cars or older cars that have not aged well. However, after doing some outside research that stemmed from my observations, Morocco’s middle-class is actually growing and has been for over a decade while poverty rates are decreasing. “ Urban areas have also witnessed an expansion of the middle class. By 2019, the middle class represented two-thirds of the urban population, marking nearly a 15% increase compared to 2012” (Morocco World News, n.d.). Morocco has been experiencing increased levels of tourism over the last decade due to many influencers posting on social media about their a

  During my visit to Morocco, I noticed that there was not a heavy presence or representation for minority groups such as homosexual couples. In the United States, we have themed months for gay couples and for other minority groups such as African Americans in June, known as Juneteenth. In Morocco, there seemed to be a much more homogenous feel when it comes to identity and orientation. The men and women tend to fill more traditional roles and do not stray much from the nuclear family the way that some do in the United States. I learned that being gay or participating in such activities is a crime punishable by jail in Morocco.   From outside research, I have learned that there are different standards for tourists and those that are famous/working in the art industry vs. everyday Moroccans when it comes to being gay. “ While LGBTQ presence and tolerance in Morocco once felt imported, nowadays it is more deeply rooted. Modern art and literature includes queer figures such as lesbian