CLCS 258T Discovering Morocco: From Tradition to Modernity
Experiential learning is the main focus of this course that takes place in the capital of Morocco, Rabat. In this full immersion program, students get to experience what they learn in the classroom throughout the whole session by acculturating themselves to the norms and expectations of Moroccan culture on a daily basis during their stay, visiting different places, engaging in various interactions with the locals, and exchanging with scholars specialized in their fields. The course first provides students with a historical overview of Morocco since its independence in 1956, focusing in particular on the monarchies of Hassan II and Mohammed VI, the current king; examines gender relations in the light of the Mudawana; explores the ethnic make-up of Moroccan society, in particular its Amazigh component; considers Sufism in its relationship with Islam, in particular as a counter-power to Islamic rigorism; studies the place of the individual in a society where the collective ego prevails. All the themes studied are substantiated with presentations by Moroccan scholars working in the field of sociology, gender, ethnic, religious and music studies, and field trips to Fez, Meknes, and Essaouira.