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
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
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