Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity

Coursework

Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites; however, students with a background in French will find ample opportunity for French language practice, while also learning Arabic. Students with a background in Spanish will also have the opportunity to practice their Spanish language skills in northern Morocco.

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The Migration Studies course engages with historical, economic, political and cultural underpinnings of migration. The approach is informed by the reality that migration is more dynamic than static push-pull models or simplified economic or demographic interpretations can reflect. Rather, the seminar challenges the student to approach migration from a multidisciplinary perspective in which migration is only one constituent part of more complex economic, development, demographic and cultural processes. The Field Study Seminar addresses culturally appropriate, ethical field methodology in the context of migration issues, in preparation for the Independent Study Project (ISP). Study of darija (Moroccan Arabic) opens windows into the culture and the theme of the program.

The following syllabi are either from a recent session of this program or for an upcoming session. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.

The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.

Migration and Transnational Identity – syllabus
(AFRS 3000 / 4 credits / 60 class hours)
An interdisciplinary course conducted in English, with required readings, examining the various effects of human mobility on local communities, global politics, and transnational economies from the cultural context of Morocco. Resources utilized in the delivery of course content include the Research Group on Migration and Culture at the University Mohammed V in Rabat, Fondation Orient-Occident, and the Association of Friends and Families of Victims of Clandestine Migration.

Intensive Language Study: Beginning Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB 1000 - 1500/ 6 credits / 90 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB 2000 - 2500/ 6 credits / 90 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Advanced Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB 3000 - 3500/ 6 credits / 90 class hours)
The course is designed to equip students with a proficiency level in spoken Standard Arabic in order to engage in everyday communication. The course integrates the skills of reading, writing, listening, grammar, vocabulary, and conversation. Students with prior study in Arabic will find reinforcement of Modern Standard Arabic through the media. Homestays, field excursions, and everyday interactions assist in language acquisition.

Field Study Seminar – syllabus
(ANTH 3500 / 2 credits / 30 class hours)
A course in the concepts of learning across cultures and from field experience. Introduction to the Independent Study Project. Material includes cross-cultural adaptation and skills building; project selection and refinement; appropriate methodologies; field study ethics and the World Learning/SIT Human Subjects Review Policy; field assignments with local association and government agencies working in the areas of migration, development, and human rights; developing contacts and finding resources; developing skills in observation and interviewing; gathering, organizing, and communicating data; maintaining a field journal.

Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR 3000 / 4 credits / 120 class hours)
Students choose between a two-week internship with an organization working in the area of migration, building their Independent Study Project (ISP) on this internship experience, or designing an ISP on their own. Sample topic areas: migrant images in Moroccan media; youth and emigration; causes and consequences of clandestine migration; sub-Saharan immigrants and their integration in Moroccan society; European immigration laws and their impact on migration trends in Morocco; circular labor migration and women; migration and its impact on those who stay behind; migrant remittances and local development; life narratives of migrants.

Browse this program's Independent Study Projects/Undergraduate Research