Moroccan Culutural Weaknesses

From International Business Wiki

Much of Morocco’s cultural weakness stems from political and thus economical upheaval. Prior to its independence from France on March 2, 1956 the people of Morocco frequently experienced a political game of tug-of-war between France and Spain. Due to its location along the Mediterranean Sea, the lands that are now considered Morocco, was a target for exploration. Much of the culture prevalent in modern Moroccan society was shaped by the Berber-conquered Spain, Province and Sicily inhabitance over the course of 2000 years. Since 1830, over 2 million Europeans settled in the Northern Africa, creating an intermingling of cultures. France saw this emerging “colony” as a potential member of the French Union. But in the east, the Arab Empire sought out to infuse the entire area with Islam. The heavy Berber influence in Morocco kept a strong hold on the Moroccan culture. This in turn, segregated the immensely large continent of Africa. But the division did not just set apart the Moroccan land from Africa, it separated Morocco into two very distinct regions: the Spanish zone of Tangier and the French region. Resident General Lyautey was credited with attempting to keep Morocco unified. From 1912 to 1925, his “pacification of the dissident tribes…be undertaken in the name of the Sultan of Morocco” which resulted in the resurrection of the Makhan. The Makhan maintained the position of upper classes. The educated Muslims were then handed an important role in the new public affairs of Morocco. Lyautey’s political movements gained him substantial support by the Moroccan people because it still upheld their major economic entity: agriculture (1). The French emphasis on apparent improvement had an underlying problem: it stifled the educational growth in Morocco’s Berber tribes. Prior to World War II, Moroccan education was heavily influenced by western culture. But after the destruction of Europe due to WWII, Moroccan people saw that a group of western nations capable of causing such destruction and turmoil should not be incorporated in their culture, thus eliminating the western school of thought and employing a more Spanish school of thought because of their support during such political unrest (1). The new agenda led to religious confusion. Throughout the development of the youth and new education system, Moroccan culture became narrow as well as western worldly affair, which further subdued the development of their own culture. Without new technological advancements made by western society being introduced to Morocco, the stronger aspects of its economy became dated. Once-farmers became more enthralled with the idea of a more profitable career of business. While economic theory would suggest that less competition in the agricultural market would enable a monopoly on such entity, the current government enacted involuntary “collections of grain, wool, and cattle to be distributed to the cities.” An overpopulation of country-dwelling tribes typically partaking in farming, were overtaken by large landowners. Early 20th century confusion between political powers and governmental structure has stunted the cultural evolution of Morocco. Unstable GDP growth rates results in high rates of unemployment and lowers living standards. And although public education is offered free of charge, many rural inhabitants, namely girls, still do not attend school (2). The illiteracy rate has been stable around 50%, which does not provide much opportunity for advancement in Moroccan culture. Early 20th Century French scholar Michaux Bellaire described the political evolution in Morocco as “certain social disorder in order to maintain the power to arbitrate. To survive this kind of authority has sustained a set of allegiances and has succeeded, over the years, in converting allegiance into submission by creating a culture of obedience and stigmatizing any form of political dissent.”(3)

Works Cited 1. Montagne, Robert. Morocco Between East and West. 2. "Morocco." CIA World Fact Book. 18 Oct 2007. Central Intelligence Agency . 29 Oct 2007 <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html>. 3. Perthes, Volker, and Saloua Zerhouni. Arab Elites: Negotiating the Politics of Change. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004.