Moroccan Area Studies

Introduction to Moroccan History and Culture

Course Description

Morocco is a multicultural country because of its history and geographical location. This course introduces this diversity built over the centuries through the influences that make up the Moroccan population: Arab-Muslim, Jewish, Berber and African. Ethnic, linguistic, anthropological, historical and geographical aspects are then considered in this analysis.

A second, more practical part of the course includes an overview of Moroccan culture and its forms of expression in different fields (architecture, crafts, music ...) via a geographical and / or chronological division.

Finally, this course offers a general reflection on the notions of identity and otherness, difference and similarity, plurality and cultural diversity by analyzing the internal and external cultural interactions of Moroccan society.

Course Objectives

On completion of this course the students will be able to:

  • identify all the major components of the Moroccan culture,
  • understand their history, distribution and contribution,
  • be familiar with some typical artistic and cultural productions of each of these components.