Morocco: Myth, Stories, History

Dr. Sarah Buchanan
Phone : 320-589-6292
Email: buchansb@morris.umn.edu
My Homepage

Itinerary and Course Information:

Course Description

Grades and Assignments

Program description:
Morocco is a country of contradictions. It is at once developed and developing, European and African, modern and mystical. During our time in Morocco we will explore these paradoxes by visiting many cities and sites of cultural and historical importance. We will travel in a loop, beginning in Casablanca, travelling north along the Atlantic coast to Rabat, heading inland towards to the imperial city of Fès, travelling south over the Atlas mountains to Merzouga, where we will head into the Sahara desert. We will then go west to the imperial city of Marrakech, further west to the Atlantic coast in Essaouira for some fun on the beach, and then we will close the loop by heading back up the coast to Casablanca. Along the way we will visit weavers and ceramic workers, we will see Roman ruins, we will learn some Arabic, we will live with Moroccan families, we will help plant trees in a school yard, we will barter in the markets, we will ride on some camels over the Saharan sand dunes, and much, much more!

Course description:
This program will study how history, myth and folktales intertwine to create a narration of Moroccan national identity. We will examine the multiple populations who have lived in this North African country, making it a site of cultural intersection. We will read some history to see how it is at times twisted into myth, and we will learn about the concept of baraka as it pertains to different methods of telling stories and other creative arts, such as weaving, ceramics, and music.

Course goals and objectives:

To gain an understanding of baraka and its linguistic, mystical, literary and creative power
To learn the ways in which (historical, mythical and folk) narration creates cultural and national identity
To involve yourself in a culturally complex and diverse Muslim country
To expand your sense of self-understanding as a citizen of a global community

Required texts:

For Fren 1312:

For Fren 3046:

Ben Jelloun, Tahar. The Sand Child. Alan Sheridan, Trans. John Hopkins UP, 2000. ISBN: 0801864402

El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 2003. ISBN: 081560789X

Shah, Tahir. In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams. Bantam, 2009. ISBN: 978-0553384437

Course packet

Ben Jelloun, Tahar. L’Enfant de sable. Paris: Seuil, 1995. ISBN: 2020238187

El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 2003. ISBN: 081560789X

Shah, Tahir. In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams. Bantam, 2009. ISBN: 978-0553384437

Course packet

Optional books for both sections:
Lonely Planet Morocco, 9th Edition. 2009. ISBN: 1741049717.
Eat Smart in Morocco: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure. Ginkgo Press: 2002. ISBN: 978-0964116863.
Moroccan Arabic: Lonely Planet Phrasebook. Lonely Planet, 2008. ISBN: 1740591879.

Assignments:

Attendance (20%)
You are required to attend all planned lectures, cultural activities and museum and site visits with an open and inquisitive mind. Some of what we see and do may be difficult for you, since we are travelling to a developing country. You are not required to like everything, but you are required to withhold judgment and to try and understand what is happening from a Moroccan perspective, rather than from an American one. Remember that we are not tourists, but students and cultural pilgrims who must open ourselves up to new ways of being, thinking, and living.

Preparation and participation in group discussions (20%)
You are expected to read all material on the syllabus and to participate actively in group discussions. Our class sessions will be in a seminar format, so the quality of our discussions will depend on your ability to contribute to the group’s understanding of what we have seen and studied. In other words, quickly skimming the readings is not adequate. You need to spend time pondering what you’ve read before class.

Academic Journal (30%)
You will write in your academic journal every day. Students enrolled in Fren 1312 will write their journals in English; students enrolled in Fren 3046 will write their journals in French. There will be specific questions to write about (see hand-out), but you should also discuss your reactions to what we have seen and experienced. This assignment is designed to allow you to process our program intellectually and emotionally without worrying about academic style and spelling (please do pay attention to legibility, however: I need to be able to read what you write). In this journal, think about your evolving understanding of what it means to be Moroccan. How is the story of Moroccan identity narrated? How do Moroccans think about who they are? I also encourage you to track the ways this trip affects your understanding of your own identity. There is no length requirement for the journal entries: quality is more important than quantity and I expect you to write something that is important to you. Each journal entry must end with a “Discovery of the Day” that describes your insights (great or small) into Morocco, the United States, yourself, or anything else that has occured to you and helped you to see the world with fresh eyes.

Papers (30%)
You will write two 1800 word papers (6 double-spaced typed pages), in which you will discuss different aspects of baraka or narrative. Students enrolled in Fren 1312 will write their papers in English; students enrolled in Fren 3046 will write their papers in French. You are expected to reference site visits, information given to you by our guides, your readings, and lectures in your paper. Your papers may be hand-written, as long as they are double-spaced and completely and easily legible.

Grade breakdown:

Distribution of gades:

Attendance	20%
Prep & Part	20%
Journal	30%
Papers	30%
TOTAL :	100%

94-100% = A	77-79% = C+
90-93% = A-	74-76% = C
87-89% = B+	70-73% = C-
84-86% = B	67-69% = D+
80-83% = B-	64-66% = D
	0-63% = F

Note: Studying abroad is exciting and wonderful, but it can also be stressful. As you step out of your comfort zone and into a new environment, you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as increased anxiety, feeling down, strained relationships, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via www.mentalhealth.umn.edu. Please also come and talk to Laura or me if you are experiencing severe symptoms and need someone who can listen.

Course itinerary and syllabus
Note: B, L, D = Meals that are included in the program.

Week One:

Day

Readings & Assignments
to finish BEFORE the day in question

Itinerary

Day 1:

Monday
May 23, 2011

Recommended reading before we leave:

In Arabian Nights (whole book; take notes).
Moroccan Folk Tales (whole book; take notes).
L’Enfant de sable/Sand Child (whole book; take notes).

Optional:
Lonely Planet, “History,” pp. 32-47; “The Culture,” pp. 48-59; “Arts and Architecture,” pp. 60-78; “Food and Drink,” pp. 79-89; “Environment,” pp. 90-97; and “Dangers and Annoyances,” pp. 459-462.

We will meet at 4:00am on May23rd at the Sun Country check-in counter.

Flight info:
Mon 23MAY LV MINNEAPOLS/STPAUL 630AM on SUN COUNTRY,#241S
Arrive in NEW YORK/JFK at 1010AM

Mon 23MAY LV NEW YORK/JFKn at 645PM on ROYAL AIR MAROC #201R 24MAY Arrive in CASABLANCA at 710AM

D (plane)

Day 2:

Tuesday
May 24, 2011

Spooner, Brian. “The Evil Eye in the Middle East.” The Evil Eye. Clarence Maloney, Ed. New York: Columbia UP, 1976. 76-84.

8 pages to read

7:10am: Arrive in Casablanca (Royal Air Maroc, flight #201R)
Tour parts of Casablanca in the morning
12:00: Lunch at Hôtel Suisse
1:00: Check into Hôtel Suisse; free time to settle in.
4:00-6:00: Discussion about Islam
6:00-7:00: Dinner on your own
7:30-8:30: Discussion on what to expect in Morocco: restaurants, male attention, bartering, tipping, etc.

B(plane), L

Day 3:

Wednesday
May 25, 2011

In Arabian Nights, pp. 7-73.

66 pages to read

9:00-11:00: Tour the Hassan II Mosque
11:00-12:00 Free time for lunch
12:00-1:00: Drive to Rabat (1 hour drive)
1:00-3:00 Explore the souq
3:00: Check into the Hôtel Chellah
4:00-6:00 class discussion
8:00pm: Welcome dinner at Hôtel Chellah

B, D

Day 4:

Thursday,
May 26, 2011

In Arabian Nights, pp. 88-101, 120-138, 204-217, 240 (from “My father had chosen...” to the bottom of the page), 270-273 (on baraka), 292-306, 348-379.

93 pages to read

8:30: Leave for our visit to the embassy
9:00-10:30: Visit to the American Embassy
10:30-1:00: Tour Rabat: Tour Hassan; Mausoleum of Mohammed V; Royal Palace; Chellah; Roman antiquities museum;
1:00-4:00: Free time
4:00-5:00: Class discussion
5:00-6:00: What to expect with homestays by UMM student, Sarah Ranney, who is finishing a year in Morocco.
8:00pm: Dinner at Hôtel Chellah
PM: Mawazine music festival? (optional) Idir is performing at 10:30. For information, see http://www.maroccultures.ma/

B, D

Day 5:

Friday,
May 27, 2011

Lonely Planet, “History,” pp. 32-47. (CP)
Mercer, Patricia. “Palace and Jihad in the Early ’Alawi State in Morocco,” The Journal of African History, Vol. 18, No. 4 (1977), 531-553. (CP)

37 pages to read

9:00-11:00: Finish tour of Rabat: Casbah Oudaïah—Coopérative de tapis, Other?
11:00-12:00: Free time for lunch and walking through the Souq
12:00-??pm: Drive to Meknès (? hour drive) Stop in Volubilis for afternoon tour.
On the bus: Lecture by Sarah Buchanan on Imagined Communities and Moroccan history.

Day 6:

Saturday,
May 28, 2011

Chittick, William C. “Sufi Thought and Practice,” Voll, John O. “Sufi Orders,” and Ohtsuka, Kazuo. “Sufi Shrine Culture,” The Oxford Encylopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Vol. 4. Oxford UP, 1995. 102-123.

21 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Lecture on Moulay Ismaïl: the man, the legend.
10:30-12:00 tour of Meknès.
12:00-2:00 Free time for lunch
2:00-4:00 Tour of Heri es-Souani
4:00-5:30 Drive to Fez (1.5 hour drive)
7:30pm Dinner at the hotel
7:30pm: Class meeting to talk about Sufism, Arabic lessons and host families
8:00: Sufi concert

B, D

Day 7:

Sunday,
May 29, 2011

Journals due
You are strongly encouraged to read as much of Moroccan Folktales and/or of the course packet as you can.

0 pages to read

11:00 Meet host families in the hotel lobby.
Free day with host families

B, L, D

Week Two

Day

Readings & Assignments
to finish BEFORE the day in question

Itinerary

Day 8:

Monday
May 30, 2011

You are strongly encouraged to read as much of Moroccan Folktales and/or of the course packet as you can.

0 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Arabic lessons at INLAC
11:00-1:00: Free time for lunch with host families
1:00-5:00: Tour of Fes, including the fortress overlooking Fez, and the Medina.

B, L, D

Day 9:

Tuesday
May 31, 2011

Hand-out on zellij

Werner, Louis. “Zillij in Fez,” Saudi Aramco Worldwww.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200103/zillij.in.fez.htm, pp. 1-7. (CP)

Housefield, James E. “Moroccan Ceramics and the Geography of Invented Traditions” Geographical Review, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Jul., 1997) pp. 401-407. (CP)

38 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Arabic lessons at INLAC
11:00-1:00: Free time for lunch with host families
1:00-4:00: Tour of Fassi historic buildings: Qaraouiyine Mosque; Bouaninia Medersa; Royal Palace; Mellah & Synagogue; Others
4:00-6:00: Class meeting to talk about zellij, weaving, and baraka

B, L, D

Day 10:

Wednesday
June 1, 2011

El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. pp. 1-41. After reading the selection, write out answers to the discussion questions.

40 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Arabic lessons at INLAC
11:00-1:00: Free time for lunch with host families
1:00-4:00: Tour of Badria Fakkhari at Art Naji (zellij)
4:00-6:00: Class time to talk about Moroccan Folktales

B, L, D

Day 11:

Thursday
June 2, 2011

El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. pp. 42-89. Please read all the tales, but you are responsible for teaching one specific tale. For your tale, you will work together with a partner to present the plot of the tale, to explain why this tale is important, what its major themes are, and what kinds of lessons it teaches. Consult the print syllabus to see which tale you will be teaching.

James, Jereb. “Textiles: Clothing, Weaving and Embroidery” and “Beliefs, Symbols and Tattoos,” Arts and Crafts of Morocco, London: Thames and Hudson, 1995. pp. 41-56, 13-24. (CP)

Mernissi, Fatima. “The Silent Dream of Wings and Flight,” Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books, 1995. 203-217.
Shah, Tahir. In Arabian Nights, pp. 230-231

87 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Arabic lessons at INLAC
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-12:45: Discussion of Moroccan Folktales
12:45-2:30: Free time for lunch with host families
2:30-6:00: Continue tour of Fez--craftsmen: Weavers; Carpet sellers; Metal workers; Chouwara tannery

B, L, D

Day 12:

Friday
June 3, 2011

El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. pp. 100-141. Please read all the tales, but you are responsible for teaching three specific tales. For your tales, you will work together with a partner to present the plot of the tales, to explain why your tales are important, what their major themes are, and what kinds of lessons they teach. Consult the print syllabus to see which tale you will be teaching.

41 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Arabic lessons at INLAC
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-12:45: Discussion of Moroccan Folktales

Rest of the day is free.

B, L, D

Day 13:

Saturday
June 4, 2011

Journals due
Prepare questions/comments for El Koudia.
Write your paper

0 pages to read

9:00-11:00: Lecture on Moroccan Folklore and Symbolism by Jilali El Koudia
Rest of the day is free to spend time with your host families. Go to the World Sacred Music Festival?

B, L, D

Day 14:
Sunday,
June 5, 2011

D’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin. “Heracles.” Book of Greek Myths. New York: Delacorte Press, 1962. 132-147.

15 pages to read

8:00am: Trip to supermarket to buy supplies to eat in Erfoud
9:00: Depart for Erfoud (8 hour drive, stops in Ifrane, Ziz gorge, etc.)

Week Three

Day

Readings & Assignments
to finish BEFORE the day in question

Itinerary

Day 15:

Monday,
June 6, 2011

El-Shamy, Hasan M. “Afterword.” In El Koudia, Jilali. Moroccan Folktales. 147-157.
Write your paper

10 pages to read

9:00am: Depart hotel for Merzouga. Transfer into 4x4s to ride to Erg Chebbi
11:00ish: Settle into tents
Discussion of Moroccan Folktales sometime this day
Sunset: 1/2 hour camel ride in the desert

B, L, D

Day 16:

Tuesday,
June 7, 2011

Write your paper

0 pages to read

Free day
8:00pm: Traditional Lamb dinner with music
9:00pm: Professional storyteller around the fire

B, L, D

Day 17:

Wednesday,
June 8, 2011

Paper #1 due

The Moroccan Family Code of 2004, pp. 1-57.

57 pages to read

9:00am: Depart by 4x4s to Erfoud and transfer to coach.
Visit Al-Rissani: Museum in Ksar; Archeological museum; Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif; Visit Fossil factory
AM: Travel to Todra Gorge (?? Hours)
12:00-2:00: Free time for lunch in Todra Gorge
2:00-5:00: Travel to Tinghrir (3 hour drive)
Dinner in Hôtel Kasbah Lamrani

B, D

Day 18:

Thursday,
June 9, 2011

Errazki-Van Beek, Mariëtte. “The Seven Saints of Marrakesh: Tales and Traditions” IN: Fodor, A. (ed.); Shivtiel, A. (ed.); Proceedings of the Colloquium on Popular Customs and Monotheistic Religions in the Middle East and North Africa, Budapest, 19-25th September, 1993. Budapest; Chair for Islamic Studies, Eötvös Loránd Univ. & Sect. of Islamic Studies, Csoma de Kőrös Soc.; 1994. pp. 211-224.

13 pages to read

9:00: Depart for Ouarzazate (4 hours) Stop to visit Dadès valley, Ksars, Kasbahs. Discussion about the Seven Saints of Marrakèch on route.
1:30-3:30: Free time for lunch in Ouarzazate
3:30: Tour the Pasha Glaoui kasbah
Tour inside the Atlas film studios

Day 19:

Friday,
June 10, 2011

Allen, James Sloan. “The Storytellers of Marrakech.” The Sewanee Review, Vol. 104, No. 4 (Fall, 1996), pp. 497-520.

23 pages to read

9:00: Depart for Marrakech (5 hours—over mountains)
2:00-4:00: Visit the 7 saints of Marrakech for la baraka
4:00-6:00: Lecture on the Djmaa el-Fna
6:00: Go to Djmaa el-Fna for sunset and call to prayers around the square
Evening free to shop, explore the square

Day 20:

Saturday,
June 11, 2011

Davis, Diana K. “Potential Forests: Degradation Narratives, Science, and Environmental Policy in Protectorate Morocco, 1912-1956.” Environmental History, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Apr., 2005), pp. 211-238.

27 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Lecture on Orientalism & Discussion of environmentalism in Morocco.
10:30-12:00 Continue tour of Marrakech : Majorelle Gardens & Museum
12:00-1:00: Free time for lunch
1:00-5:00: Tour Marrakech: Bahia Palace; Saadian Tombs; Koutoubia Mosque; Spice markets in the souq; house of the guy who started the Riads in the 1500s
Evening free to explore the square

Day 21:

Sunday,
June 12, 2011

The Sand Child, chapters 1-5.

≈ 43 pages to read

8:00-12:00: Free day
4:00-6:00: Class discussion of The Sand Child
8:00: OPTIONAL dinner at El Borj Bladi or Kasbah Tassaroute or Riad Jbel Lakhdar

Week Four

Day

Readings & Assignments
to finish BEFORE the day in question

Itinerary

Day 22:

Monday,
June 13, 2011

The Sand Child, chapters 6-10.

38 pages to read

Free day
Optional: trip to the plant nursery to select the trees we’ll plant on Wednesday.
4:00-6:00: Class
Evening free

Day 23:

Tuesday,
June 14, 2011

The Sand Child, chapters 11-15.

≈ 43 pages to read

8:00-5:00 Visit to Dar Taliba, Nectarome and a planting from last year in the Ourika Valley. You will need 70Dh ($10) for your lunch.
4:00-6:00: Class
Evening free

Day 24:

Wednesday,
June 15, 2011

The Sand Child, chapters 16-19

≈ 38 pages to read

8:00-12:00: Service work at Collège Abdelmoumen
12:00-4:00 Free time—be sure to buy picnic supplies for tomorrow!
4:00-6:00: Class
6:00: Lecture by Greta Bliss, “The Storyteller and the Story Told: Gender and Authority in Tahar Ben Jelloun’s L’enfant de sable.”
Evening free

Day 25:

Thursday,
June 16, 2011

Journals due
Write your paper

0 pages to read

9:00: Depart for the Cascades d’Ouzoud (3 hour trip)
12:00: Arrive in Ouzoud, hike to the bottom of the falls. Picnic, swimming, lounging.
4:00: Depart to return to Marrakech (3 hour drive)

Day 26:

Friday,
June 17, 2011

Write your paper

0 pages to read

9:00am: Depart for Essaouira (3 hour trip)
12:00: Arrive in Essaouira, check into hotel
12:00-1:00: Tour of Essaouira
Rest of the day is free. Be sure to eat fresh seafood, shop, play on the beach, and work on your papers!!

Day 27:

Saturday,
June 18, 2011

Mana, Abdelkader. “Music and Trance.” The Gnawa and Mohamed Tabal. Casablanca: Lak International, 1998. 41-66. (CP)

Bravmann, René A. “The Jinn of Gnaoua,” in Islamic Art and Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ådahl, Karin and Berit Sahlström, Eds. Stokholm, Sweden: Uppsala Press, Figua Nova Series, No. 27, 1995. pp. 64-69. (CP)

30 pages to read

9:00-10:30: Lecture on Mysticism (Sufism and Gnoua) in Morocco—SKY
10:30am-7:00pm: Free time!! Don’t forget to work on your papers!!
7:45pm: Depart for Gnaoua music performance

Day 28:

Sunday,
June 19, 2011

Middleton, David. “Casablanca: The Function of Myth in a Popular Classic.” The New Orleans Review. 13(1), 1986. 11-18. (CP)

Journals due before you get on the plane.

7 pages to read

8:30: Depart for Casablanca (6 hour drive)
1:00ish: Stop in El-Jadida for lunch and to tour the Portuguese Cistern
7:00pm: Arrive in Casablanca
7:00pm: Dinner at Rick’s Café with viewing of the film, Casablanca
10:00 or so: Transfer to the airport for our flight home, which leaves at 2:45am.

Flight info:
Mon 20JUN LV CASABLANCA at 345AM on ROYAL AIR MAROC #202M
Arrive in NEW YORK/JFK at 700AM

Mon 20JUN LV NEW YORK/JFK at 1100AM on SUN COUNTRY #242V
Arrive in MINNEAPOLS/STPAUL at 105PM

B, D

Tuesday, June 24:
Paper #2 due via email before 5:00pm, CST