TVL 308 Morocco in Transition

As a society in social and political transition, Morocco perfectly illustrates the tensions inherent in globalization. Morocco remains a cultural mosaic that epitomizes the intersections between the local and the global, a young population constantly seeking to (re)negotiate their cultural identity in a global context, torn between the past and the future. "To travel in the past, that is to navigate in time, is the best way to teach oneself tolerance, and respect for diversity," Fatema Mernissi, a preeminent Moroccan feminist scholar, recently wrote about the young generation. The Academic Travel to Morocco provides students with a unique look at critical issues surrounding globalization, namely cultural identity, media and gender spaces through combined visits to key Moroccan cities, cultural/historical sites, a series of lectures, visiting higher education institutions, and interaction with a group of Moroccan students. Students will visit Casablanca, a hybrid city, that is defying Bogart's famous romance; Marrakech, an imperial city, that provides a taste of oral culture meeting modernity; Essaouira, the former Jewish center of culture and commerce, that is now celebrated for its world music festival; and Fes, Morocco's 'spiritual capital.' The trip includes a brief visit to Meknes's Roman outpost, Volubilis, and concludes in Rabat, Morocco's modern capital.