Morocco Memo Case Study
Date: 6-5-08
To: Julie Pennington
Subject: Family Life in Morocco Memo
You will soon be embarking on a five year business contract to open a branch of Lazlo’s in Casablanca, Morocco. I understand that you have all the information you need about Morocco’s economy, business environment and your target audience. I also understand that you will be taking your husband and 4 children along with you, so there are some important facts I thought you should know about Moroccan culture prior to your departure. In order to minimize the degree of culture shock occurring to you and your family, you should have an understanding about the family life and parental ethics in Muslim cultures. There are some characteristics that I’m sure you’ll find …show more content…
very different from the values and culture here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
We learned in my International Marketing class recently that Christianity and Islam are the two most similar religions in the world.
Although they are similar, there are still several significant differences to be aware of when raising children in the United States or Morocco, due to the differences in Muslim and Christian values practiced in each of these countries, respectively. Two of the biggest differences are the differential gender treatment and the religious practices and beliefs instilled in children at a very young age. Religious beliefs have a significant impact on parenting techniques, for example differential treatment between the sexes. In Muslim culture, boys are girls are treated unequally. This is surprisingly because in the book of Islamic religion called the Holy Qu’ran, it refers to the male and female as equals. The Qu’ran states specifically that, “Islam is very clear on issues of equality between men and women,” and that “Allah has created men and women from the same source, and that they are equal partners who complement each other so that happy life is unimaginable for one of them without the other.” (Sabbah, Hilda. “Gender Issues in Islamic …show more content…
Schools.”) It’s important to be aware that despite these equality statements in the Holy Qu’ran and contrary to the spirit of Islamic religion, males still tend to be favored to females in Muslim culture. The way Muslim women are treated is not paralleled to the teachings of the Qu’ran. It is believed “culture as well as man-made rules and interpretations of Islamic teachings” have created this differential gender treatment that is so prevelant today. (Hussain, Mohammed Dr. “Gender Inequality Not Found in Qu’ran.”) This gender bias is non-apparent during the child’s first two years of life. During infancy, male and female babies are treated fairly equally. All babies are breast fed until they reach the age of two. It is believed that after a child is weaned from his or her mother, they will be aware of the true hardships that exist in the world. This is referred to as “gytar” in Arabic. In American culture, is considered polite and sometimes expected to compliment a baby when you meet one. In Morocco however, this does not occur. The Moroccans consider it impolite to compliment or admire another person’s baby. It is in fact rude and offensive to comment that a baby is “adorable” or “beautiful.” If you say this to a Muslim woman, it is likely that she will become defensive and respond by saying pointing out the baby’s flaws, such as wrinkles or excess weight on the baby. When this happens, it is best to agree with the mother and comment that yes, in fact the baby in rather un-beautiful. Another difference between American and Muslim parenting during infancy, is the way mothers tend to interact with their children while they socialize. In the United States, it is encouraged for a woman to place her baby as her highest priority. This means that in social situations, the mother is usually carrying her baby in her arms and coaxing the child to be calm if they are acting irritable. In Muslim culture however, when a mother is sitting and socializing with her friends, she usually rests her baby across her lap or on a cushion next to her. It is rare for her to hold the baby in her arms except for while she is breastfeeding. Interestingly, because Muslim babies are accustomed to lying on their own while their mother socializes, it is not uncommon for babies to be sound asleep during their mother’s loud social gatherings. The babies are used to sleeping in these environments. In American culture, boy babies typically wear blue and girl babies wear pink from day one. This is the way that Americans prefer to differentiate the gender among infants. In Muslim culture, however, it is custom for women to dress babies of both genders identically until they reach age two. The babies usually wear a smock during the summer months and a sweater and pants during the winter months. During the years of age two to age six, is called early childhood. During this period is when girls and boys begin to be treated unequally. Young girls begin to acquire responsibilities, mainly duties involving assisting their mothers and household chores such as: cleaning house, washing clothes and doing dishes. Young boys, on the other hand, begin to acquire more freedom, independence and “playtime.” Playtime for the young boys in Morocco usually involves games that are very active and violent, such as soccer or simply kicking one another in the pants. These games are representative of the common characteristics of boys in Muslim culture. Differential treatment of gender can also be seen during early childhood through means of punishment. According to authors Bowen and Early, in Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, “little boys are allowed and sometimes even encouraged to hit their older sisters, who are not allowed to retaliate.” (Pg 29.) Girls are strongly discouraged from hitting anyone while young boys are applauded for doing so. The book also comments that it is more common to see “spoiled” behavior such as throwing temper tantrums in young boys rather than girls. An interesting phenomenon you should also be aware of, is that young Muslim boys tend to be complimented and played with more often than young girls. The girls are taught to not react to this unequal treatment. They should not pout or sulk in response to the lack of attention, but instead they should respectfully sit and observe the fact that they are not being treated fairly. The boys typically also receive more hugs than the young girls do, especially by their fathers. During early childhood, Muslim children begin to develop something called “hshim.” This term literally means to “show some shame,” but could be somewhat equated to what we refer to in the United States as a feeling guilt or shame for one’s actions.
In general, it means to behave nicely and display good values and judgment. In the book Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, it is noted that “hshim” applies primarily to observable behaviors meaning it is “an external judgment by society of one’s actions rather than something felt internally and individually by a person.” Be aware however, that the meaning of hshim slightly changes between girls and boys. Hshim for a young boy may mean to keep quiet and sit still but for a young girl it would mean to sit still as well as show modesty. At ages as young as three years old, girls are taught to sit cross-legged and cover their legs while seated. For girls, hshim, implies a certain degree of shyness as well as being well mannered. What I found particularly interesting about Hshim, is that it represents a deeper characteristic of Muslim people. It represents one of the main driving elements that influences the way they behave in
society.
Moroccans tend to avoid shame more than guilt when making important life decisions. “Guilt is internalized self-punishment, but shame is imposed on one by others,” (Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, pg 30). American and Christian concepts however, typically weigh guilt to be of greater importance than shame. This means that a person will decide to not cheat on their test because they are afraid of the shamefulness of getting caught and experiencing public humility, rather than deciding not to cheat because of the internal guilt of it being the morally wrong decision. This concept is important because it is the backbone of why parents punish children in Morocco the way they do, often using public shame. The differential treatment of children only increases with age. During late childhood, the boys begin attending school and having more time to aggressively play with their buddies, unsupervised. The girls on the other hand, are encouraged to be quieter, take on more responsibilities, and be more solemn. By the age of five, it is common to see a girl carrying her younger siblings on her back and by the age of 12, it is not uncommon for a young girl to be able to take care of an entire household by herself. In Muslim cultures, girls and boys with develop develop “qel” during late childhood and adolescence. Literally, Qel means “to develop a mind.” Girls tend to develop this quality at an earlier age than boys, perhaps it’s because they’re forced to take on so many more responsibilities than the boys at a young age. Qel in Muslim culture can be equated with maturity in American culture. It refers to the intellectual development of the mind. In the United States, our concept of child development tends to be rather linear. We see the process as being a gradual transformation in which the child matures slowly each day until they finally reach maturity and are considered to be adults. In Morocco and in Muslim culture however, they do not have this same linear view. They believe that child behaves childlike, without showing qel, until one day they experience a transformation and they have acquired qel. They do not experience this as a slow and gradual process at all. One of the most important events to occur in a male’s lifetime, is circumcision. Circumcision is one of the biggest obstacles a boy has to overcome before he can achieve qel. Although the traditions and customs for how to celebrate a boy’s circumcision has evolved over time, it still remains an important event that should be recognized. Thirty years ago, it was customary to thrown a large party for the circumcision. A boy would invite all of his friends, family and loved ones to help him celebrate. The party would typically take place prior to the operation and the party’s importance could be equated to the event of marriage in a young girl’s lifetime. Today, modern celebrations are much more modest, with only a few friends and family members gathers for tea and snacks.
In August, you will be moving to Morocco for 5 years. You’re a mother and inexperienced traveler, so it is crucial that you understand the cultural differences between Christian and Muslim family life. Once you understand the characteristics of the two cultures, it will be up to your discrepancy to decide which, if any, values you wish to implement upon your family while you’re living there. Even if you choose to maintain only Christian values in your personal home, you will now be aware of the cultural reasons for the way you see Muslim mothers treating their children. You will also understand why Moroccan children behave differently from the way the Western children behave in Nebraska, such as Muslim boys having more aggression and more freedom than the girls and the Muslim girls being much more shy and modest than the boys. I hope you will carefully consider all of the information I have provided you here and perhaps this memo will serve as a catalyst to provoke your interest in doing further research to learn more about the many cultural differences between Islam and Christian parenting and cultural values. Good luck on your exciting endeavor to Morocco, Heather!
SOURCES:
Hussain, Mohammed Dr. , “Gender inequality not found in Quran.” Religion Saturday, (September 9, 2006)
Lee Bowen, Donna and Evelyn A. Early. Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East. Indiana University Press, 2002
Yacoub Abu Roumi Sabbah, Hilda. “Gender Issues in Islamic Schools: A Case Study of Two Schools in the United States” (2005)
To: Julie Pennington
Subject: Family Life in Morocco Memo
You will soon be embarking on a five year business contract to open a branch of Lazlo’s in Casablanca, Morocco. I understand that you have all the information you need about Morocco’s economy, business environment and your target audience. I also understand that you will be taking your husband and 4 children along with you, so there are some important facts I thought you should know about Moroccan culture prior to your departure. In order to minimize the degree of culture shock occurring to you and your family, you should have an understanding about the family life and parental ethics in Muslim cultures. There are some characteristics that I’m sure you’ll find …show more content…
very different from the values and culture here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
We learned in my International Marketing class recently that Christianity and Islam are the two most similar religions in the world.
Although they are similar, there are still several significant differences to be aware of when raising children in the United States or Morocco, due to the differences in Muslim and Christian values practiced in each of these countries, respectively. Two of the biggest differences are the differential gender treatment and the religious practices and beliefs instilled in children at a very young age. Religious beliefs have a significant impact on parenting techniques, for example differential treatment between the sexes. In Muslim culture, boys are girls are treated unequally. This is surprisingly because in the book of Islamic religion called the Holy Qu’ran, it refers to the male and female as equals. The Qu’ran states specifically that, “Islam is very clear on issues of equality between men and women,” and that “Allah has created men and women from the same source, and that they are equal partners who complement each other so that happy life is unimaginable for one of them without the other.” (Sabbah, Hilda. “Gender Issues in Islamic …show more content…
Schools.”) It’s important to be aware that despite these equality statements in the Holy Qu’ran and contrary to the spirit of Islamic religion, males still tend to be favored to females in Muslim culture. The way Muslim women are treated is not paralleled to the teachings of the Qu’ran. It is believed “culture as well as man-made rules and interpretations of Islamic teachings” have created this differential gender treatment that is so prevelant today. (Hussain, Mohammed Dr. “Gender Inequality Not Found in Qu’ran.”) This gender bias is non-apparent during the child’s first two years of life. During infancy, male and female babies are treated fairly equally. All babies are breast fed until they reach the age of two. It is believed that after a child is weaned from his or her mother, they will be aware of the true hardships that exist in the world. This is referred to as “gytar” in Arabic. In American culture, is considered polite and sometimes expected to compliment a baby when you meet one. In Morocco however, this does not occur. The Moroccans consider it impolite to compliment or admire another person’s baby. It is in fact rude and offensive to comment that a baby is “adorable” or “beautiful.” If you say this to a Muslim woman, it is likely that she will become defensive and respond by saying pointing out the baby’s flaws, such as wrinkles or excess weight on the baby. When this happens, it is best to agree with the mother and comment that yes, in fact the baby in rather un-beautiful. Another difference between American and Muslim parenting during infancy, is the way mothers tend to interact with their children while they socialize. In the United States, it is encouraged for a woman to place her baby as her highest priority. This means that in social situations, the mother is usually carrying her baby in her arms and coaxing the child to be calm if they are acting irritable. In Muslim culture however, when a mother is sitting and socializing with her friends, she usually rests her baby across her lap or on a cushion next to her. It is rare for her to hold the baby in her arms except for while she is breastfeeding. Interestingly, because Muslim babies are accustomed to lying on their own while their mother socializes, it is not uncommon for babies to be sound asleep during their mother’s loud social gatherings. The babies are used to sleeping in these environments. In American culture, boy babies typically wear blue and girl babies wear pink from day one. This is the way that Americans prefer to differentiate the gender among infants. In Muslim culture, however, it is custom for women to dress babies of both genders identically until they reach age two. The babies usually wear a smock during the summer months and a sweater and pants during the winter months. During the years of age two to age six, is called early childhood. During this period is when girls and boys begin to be treated unequally. Young girls begin to acquire responsibilities, mainly duties involving assisting their mothers and household chores such as: cleaning house, washing clothes and doing dishes. Young boys, on the other hand, begin to acquire more freedom, independence and “playtime.” Playtime for the young boys in Morocco usually involves games that are very active and violent, such as soccer or simply kicking one another in the pants. These games are representative of the common characteristics of boys in Muslim culture. Differential treatment of gender can also be seen during early childhood through means of punishment. According to authors Bowen and Early, in Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, “little boys are allowed and sometimes even encouraged to hit their older sisters, who are not allowed to retaliate.” (Pg 29.) Girls are strongly discouraged from hitting anyone while young boys are applauded for doing so. The book also comments that it is more common to see “spoiled” behavior such as throwing temper tantrums in young boys rather than girls. An interesting phenomenon you should also be aware of, is that young Muslim boys tend to be complimented and played with more often than young girls. The girls are taught to not react to this unequal treatment. They should not pout or sulk in response to the lack of attention, but instead they should respectfully sit and observe the fact that they are not being treated fairly. The boys typically also receive more hugs than the young girls do, especially by their fathers. During early childhood, Muslim children begin to develop something called “hshim.” This term literally means to “show some shame,” but could be somewhat equated to what we refer to in the United States as a feeling guilt or shame for one’s actions.
In general, it means to behave nicely and display good values and judgment. In the book Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, it is noted that “hshim” applies primarily to observable behaviors meaning it is “an external judgment by society of one’s actions rather than something felt internally and individually by a person.” Be aware however, that the meaning of hshim slightly changes between girls and boys. Hshim for a young boy may mean to keep quiet and sit still but for a young girl it would mean to sit still as well as show modesty. At ages as young as three years old, girls are taught to sit cross-legged and cover their legs while seated. For girls, hshim, implies a certain degree of shyness as well as being well mannered. What I found particularly interesting about Hshim, is that it represents a deeper characteristic of Muslim people. It represents one of the main driving elements that influences the way they behave in
society.
Moroccans tend to avoid shame more than guilt when making important life decisions. “Guilt is internalized self-punishment, but shame is imposed on one by others,” (Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, pg 30). American and Christian concepts however, typically weigh guilt to be of greater importance than shame. This means that a person will decide to not cheat on their test because they are afraid of the shamefulness of getting caught and experiencing public humility, rather than deciding not to cheat because of the internal guilt of it being the morally wrong decision. This concept is important because it is the backbone of why parents punish children in Morocco the way they do, often using public shame. The differential treatment of children only increases with age. During late childhood, the boys begin attending school and having more time to aggressively play with their buddies, unsupervised. The girls on the other hand, are encouraged to be quieter, take on more responsibilities, and be more solemn. By the age of five, it is common to see a girl carrying her younger siblings on her back and by the age of 12, it is not uncommon for a young girl to be able to take care of an entire household by herself. In Muslim cultures, girls and boys with develop develop “qel” during late childhood and adolescence. Literally, Qel means “to develop a mind.” Girls tend to develop this quality at an earlier age than boys, perhaps it’s because they’re forced to take on so many more responsibilities than the boys at a young age. Qel in Muslim culture can be equated with maturity in American culture. It refers to the intellectual development of the mind. In the United States, our concept of child development tends to be rather linear. We see the process as being a gradual transformation in which the child matures slowly each day until they finally reach maturity and are considered to be adults. In Morocco and in Muslim culture however, they do not have this same linear view. They believe that child behaves childlike, without showing qel, until one day they experience a transformation and they have acquired qel. They do not experience this as a slow and gradual process at all. One of the most important events to occur in a male’s lifetime, is circumcision. Circumcision is one of the biggest obstacles a boy has to overcome before he can achieve qel. Although the traditions and customs for how to celebrate a boy’s circumcision has evolved over time, it still remains an important event that should be recognized. Thirty years ago, it was customary to thrown a large party for the circumcision. A boy would invite all of his friends, family and loved ones to help him celebrate. The party would typically take place prior to the operation and the party’s importance could be equated to the event of marriage in a young girl’s lifetime. Today, modern celebrations are much more modest, with only a few friends and family members gathers for tea and snacks.
In August, you will be moving to Morocco for 5 years. You’re a mother and inexperienced traveler, so it is crucial that you understand the cultural differences between Christian and Muslim family life. Once you understand the characteristics of the two cultures, it will be up to your discrepancy to decide which, if any, values you wish to implement upon your family while you’re living there. Even if you choose to maintain only Christian values in your personal home, you will now be aware of the cultural reasons for the way you see Muslim mothers treating their children. You will also understand why Moroccan children behave differently from the way the Western children behave in Nebraska, such as Muslim boys having more aggression and more freedom than the girls and the Muslim girls being much more shy and modest than the boys. I hope you will carefully consider all of the information I have provided you here and perhaps this memo will serve as a catalyst to provoke your interest in doing further research to learn more about the many cultural differences between Islam and Christian parenting and cultural values. Good luck on your exciting endeavor to Morocco, Heather!
SOURCES:
Hussain, Mohammed Dr. , “Gender inequality not found in Quran.” Religion Saturday, (September 9, 2006)
Lee Bowen, Donna and Evelyn A. Early. Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East. Indiana University Press, 2002
Yacoub Abu Roumi Sabbah, Hilda. “Gender Issues in Islamic Schools: A Case Study of Two Schools in the United States” (2005)