Research Question
When I found out that I was going to Morocco I was both excited and intrigued on many levels. This was my first trip to a predominantly Muslim country and it would be my first time in Africa. Leading up to the trip, my family, friends and colleagues were all concerned about the safety and treatment of women in an Islamic country. I too had my doubts about what the status was of the female population and so my research question developed from these thoughts. A part of it, admittedly, stemmed from ignorance of a culture and religion but I went in with an open mind-ready to observe and learn. With time, my research question developed into the following: How do females, mostly students, feel about social norms and cultural expectations?
Discovery
As we traveled through Morocco, making our way from schools in the city of Rabat to my host school in Taroudant, I took every opportunity to talk with the students about their social lives in and out of school. I wanted to know what boys and girls did for fun and how their time in school was spent when not in class. I also observed what men and women were doing as we walked around town and ate, shopped, explored and immersed ourselves in Moroccan life.
One immediately apparent observation was that women never seemed to travel alone. In Rabat, they traveled with men or in groups and were out at all hours of the day. Younger women and girls were seen wandering around leisurely but the older generation seemed to only be at the markets, negotiating prices for household items and food. The city seemed to have many young couples on dates, enjoying the weather and conversing and holding hands. The younger generation dressed in a very western, modern fashion while the older women were dressed in traditional garb, which fully covered their bodies and heads. In Rabat I saw girls in tank tops, shorts, skirts and in Agadir, the beach was full of local girls in bikinis. Needless to say that the preconceived notion that all Muslim women wear hijabs is not true.
In Taroudant, the dress of the younger generation was still modern; jeans, long dresses/skirts, but there almost every girl was fully covered from head to toe. In my host school, there were only a few girls that were not dressed in this manner. Most of the women in town seemed to be stay at home moms/wives even though many had started a course of study after high school. In the cities (Marrakesh, Rabat, Agadir) I noticed many more women working during the day in banks, shops, etc.
Although tea shops are abundant in Morocco, men were the predominant patrons. I asked about this and my host said that although women are not forbidden from going, it is generally a space for men to hang out. My host’s wife and sister in law informed me that women tend to gather at each other’s houses to socialize or catch up at the markets. Young girls also told me that they hung out together at each others houses because their was a social stigma attached to girls who hung out outside after early evening.
In Taroudant, we were able to have discussions on various topics with the girls. I asked how the girls felt that the boys were always outdoors, playing sports, goofing off, running around while they all seemed to be forced to stay inside. Given the beautiful weather, I couldn’t imagine what this must be like for them. Almost every girl, except one, said they were ok with it and felt that it was normal. One student told me that if you are seen out and about without your family you are seen as a “slutty girl” and your prospects for a good marriage were doomed. I followed up by asking if they feel their lives would be better, more fun, if they felt comfortable being outside with their friends and people didn’t judge them. Many of the girls said they often wonder what that would be like but mostly because of what they see on TV and YouTube. One of the girls, one whom I had noticed because she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt when I first met her, said she hated being treated like an inferior person and couldn’t understand why the other girls couldn’t see how unfair the situation was. She was outspoken and felt that the girls in Morocco needed to take a stand and change what was expected of them. She said she wanted to be a vet and was planning on pursuing her goals regardless of what others said.
Reflection
After many discussions, it seems that the role of women in Moroccan society is largely based on socioeconomic standing and geographical location. From what I could gather, the wealthier families were allowing their girls to be more liberal with their dress and how and where they spent their time. The female students in Agadir were much more like my students back home; flirting with boys, wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts, being loud and crazy. The girls in Taroudant were much quieter, dressed conservatively and tended to stay within female groups.
(Most of the discussions I had about my research question took place in Taroudant, and so the answers I got are a bit geographically biased).
Lingering Questions
I can’t help but wonder if the female students were telling me what they truly believed or if they were just relaying what had been ingrained in their minds for years and therefore they didn’t have any basis of comparison to what their life could be like without these societal restrictions. These discussions were also held in the classroom and were not anonymous which tends to mitigate the honesty expressed by the participants. If these girls were given a semester abroad option and they got to experience something different, then how would they feel?
I also wonder what the older generation thinks about their daughters being raised in the same manner and with the same expectations as they were born into. My host’s mother in law, a very tradition woman, surprised me with her views on marriage by saying, “the religion of the two people does not matter as long as they love and respect each other”. It seems that the social role of women in this country may be changing.
When I found out that I was going to Morocco I was both excited and intrigued on many levels. This was my first trip to a predominantly Muslim country and it would be my first time in Africa. Leading up to the trip, my family, friends and colleagues were all concerned about the safety and treatment of women in an Islamic country. I too had my doubts about what the status was of the female population and so my research question developed from these thoughts. A part of it, admittedly, stemmed from ignorance of a culture and religion but I went in with an open mind-ready to observe and learn. With time, my research question developed into the following: How do females, mostly students, feel about social norms and cultural expectations?
Discovery
As we traveled through Morocco, making our way from schools in the city of Rabat to my host school in Taroudant, I took every opportunity to talk with the students about their social lives in and out of school. I wanted to know what boys and girls did for fun and how their time in school was spent when not in class. I also observed what men and women were doing as we walked around town and ate, shopped, explored and immersed ourselves in Moroccan life.
One immediately apparent observation was that women never seemed to travel alone. In Rabat, they traveled with men or in groups and were out at all hours of the day. Younger women and girls were seen wandering around leisurely but the older generation seemed to only be at the markets, negotiating prices for household items and food. The city seemed to have many young couples on dates, enjoying the weather and conversing and holding hands. The younger generation dressed in a very western, modern fashion while the older women were dressed in traditional garb, which fully covered their bodies and heads. In Rabat I saw girls in tank tops, shorts, skirts and in Agadir, the beach was full of local girls in bikinis. Needless to say that the preconceived notion that all Muslim women wear hijabs is not true.
In Taroudant, the dress of the younger generation was still modern; jeans, long dresses/skirts, but there almost every girl was fully covered from head to toe. In my host school, there were only a few girls that were not dressed in this manner. Most of the women in town seemed to be stay at home moms/wives even though many had started a course of study after high school. In the cities (Marrakesh, Rabat, Agadir) I noticed many more women working during the day in banks, shops, etc.
Although tea shops are abundant in Morocco, men were the predominant patrons. I asked about this and my host said that although women are not forbidden from going, it is generally a space for men to hang out. My host’s wife and sister in law informed me that women tend to gather at each other’s houses to socialize or catch up at the markets. Young girls also told me that they hung out together at each others houses because their was a social stigma attached to girls who hung out outside after early evening.
In Taroudant, we were able to have discussions on various topics with the girls. I asked how the girls felt that the boys were always outdoors, playing sports, goofing off, running around while they all seemed to be forced to stay inside. Given the beautiful weather, I couldn’t imagine what this must be like for them. Almost every girl, except one, said they were ok with it and felt that it was normal. One student told me that if you are seen out and about without your family you are seen as a “slutty girl” and your prospects for a good marriage were doomed. I followed up by asking if they feel their lives would be better, more fun, if they felt comfortable being outside with their friends and people didn’t judge them. Many of the girls said they often wonder what that would be like but mostly because of what they see on TV and YouTube. One of the girls, one whom I had noticed because she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt when I first met her, said she hated being treated like an inferior person and couldn’t understand why the other girls couldn’t see how unfair the situation was. She was outspoken and felt that the girls in Morocco needed to take a stand and change what was expected of them. She said she wanted to be a vet and was planning on pursuing her goals regardless of what others said.
Reflection
After many discussions, it seems that the role of women in Moroccan society is largely based on socioeconomic standing and geographical location. From what I could gather, the wealthier families were allowing their girls to be more liberal with their dress and how and where they spent their time. The female students in Agadir were much more like my students back home; flirting with boys, wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts, being loud and crazy. The girls in Taroudant were much quieter, dressed conservatively and tended to stay within female groups.
(Most of the discussions I had about my research question took place in Taroudant, and so the answers I got are a bit geographically biased).
Lingering Questions
I can’t help but wonder if the female students were telling me what they truly believed or if they were just relaying what had been ingrained in their minds for years and therefore they didn’t have any basis of comparison to what their life could be like without these societal restrictions. These discussions were also held in the classroom and were not anonymous which tends to mitigate the honesty expressed by the participants. If these girls were given a semester abroad option and they got to experience something different, then how would they feel?
I also wonder what the older generation thinks about their daughters being raised in the same manner and with the same expectations as they were born into. My host’s mother in law, a very tradition woman, surprised me with her views on marriage by saying, “the religion of the two people does not matter as long as they love and respect each other”. It seems that the social role of women in this country may be changing.