Morocco
Modernization and Culture Loss: The case of Birth Rituals among Ayt Merghad
By: FATIMA GADDAR – Since its independence, Morocco has witnessed a number of mutations which have resulted in radical changes in the Moroccan culture in general and the Amazigh one in particular. Although Morocco was colonized for a relatively short period of time, 1912-1956, the effect of these decades on the Moroccan society and culture…
Moroccan fathers’ involvement in childcare: the case of dual-employed parents
By: MERYEM ROSTOM – In the past, fathers’ lack of involvement in their children’s life was practically unquestioned. However, with mothers’ participation in the paid labour and the ensuing rise of the dual-earner family over the course of the last few decades, interest has moved to whether and how this change has affected parents’ childcare…
Stereotypes in Moroccan Arabic proverbs. A Pilot Study
By: MARYEME OUCHEN, YAMINA EL KIRAT EL ALLAME – The present article aims at providing an overview of a pilot study that is carried out on a corpus of stereotypical proverbs in Moroccan Arabic with the aim of investigating the variable(s) (age, gender, literacy level) that has/have the most significant impact on informants’ attitudes (awareness,…
Un rituale sincretico e polisemico: la lila degli Gnawa marocchini
culti afromaghrebini, Gnawa, Islam, Morocco, possessione, sincretismi religiosi, spirit possession, tranceBy: ALESSANDRA TURCHETTI – This paper analyzes a complex ritual called lila (“night”) performed by the Gnawa, descendants of West African slaves brought to Morocco through the Trans-Saharan trade. The lila is an example of religious and cultural syncretism between Sufi Islam and African rituals of possession trance. The all-night ceremony begins with an animal sacrifice (dbiha), followed by…
Modernization and Individualism in the Ayt Merghad Community
By: FATIMA GADDAR – In an attempt to build a modern state, Morocco has embarked on a process of social, economic and political development since its independence in 1956. Numerous projects of development have been implemented both at the national and local levels. These projects have produced new patterns of life which are governed by…
Birth and the Evil Eye in the Amazigh Culture in Morocco: The Case of Ayt Merghad
By: FATIMA GADDAR – During the last decades, many beliefs in the Moroccan culture have undergone profound changes. However, people’s attitudes towards the evil eye as a destructive power have not changed that much. The belief in its notion is still a significant aspect of the Amazigh culture which is the concern of the present…