Morocco Individualism vs Collectivism
From International Business Wiki
Competition is a common aspect of human interaction. The values and beliefs people have in relation to competition vary widely from culture to culture. In Morocco there is much less social competition than there is in the United States. A large reason is Moroccan culture is defined as a collectivistic society (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/). A Moroccan family is not just immediate family like the U.S; but includes aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents (1). Each family member performs a specific job for the well being of the whole family. The father works to support the family including aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The mother acts as a childrearer and a housekeeper. The children help tend to their grandparents. These are some basic aspects of Moroccan culture, which define them according to Hofstede as a highly collectivistic society (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/). In comparison, the United States tends to be a highly individualistic society. There is much more social competition (3). In the United States women and men compete in the workforce for jobs. Women are becoming more and more individualistic. Instead of staying home and taking care of their family they are joining the work force. As a result, women are holding more positions of power in the workforce and are satisfying their own needs. This shift from being a housewife (care giver to the family unit) to women with a career outside the home has contributed to women becoming individualistic. Thereby defining an even more individualistic culture in the United States. Space both public and private is a factor that defines social interaction within a culture, and whether that interaction is individualistic or collectivistic. The Moroccan dichotomy of space may be looked at as a private sector and a public sector. The public space may defined as the street and the marketplace, where men evolve (1) The private space is defined as the home, where women live (1). This dichotomy of space has been significantly disrupted ever since Moroccan women began to take jobs outside of their home. A large reason for this space reorganization is the transition from a cohesive family unit to a structure of independence, which is a result of colonialism and modernism (1). A result of this space reorganization the large-scale family unit, which consisted of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, has been reduced to just parents and children (1). Women have started to take jobs outside of their home depicting a shift to individualistic culture. Another factor that may determine individualism or collectivism in a society deals with a society’s class system that may be engrained in culture. In a class based society, such as Morocco affluent males tend to be highly individualistic. These males either own their businesses, are professional in the workforce, or hold positions in government that are highly influential in the running of the state (2). In the upper class the affluent Moroccan men have an air of social competition that drives them compared to males in lower class status (2). Lower class males tend to work collectively to be able to prosper within the confines of their class. For women in the upper class it as unnecessary and a dishonor to work outside the home (2). Their primary responsibility is to their husband and keeping the family unit cohesive while rearing offspring. Women in lower socioeconomic backgrounds whose husbands had little income were interested in working outside the home to be able to help in providing for their families.
1. Fatima Sadiqi, Moha Ennaji. (2006). THE FEMINIZATION OF PUBLIC SPACE: WOMEN'S ACTIVISM, THE FAMILY LAW, AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN MOROCCO. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, 2(2), 86-114,156-157. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from GenderWatch (GW) database. (Document ID: 1060362191). 2. Kenneth Gray, Lyn Amine. (2002). Doing business in Morocco. Thunderbird International Business Review, 44(3), 379-398. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 118653717). 3. Philippe d'Iribarne (2003). The combination of strategic games and moral community in the functioning of firms. Organization Studies, 24(8), 1283-1307. Retrieved October 30, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 463918871).
