Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity

Homestays

Students with host families at end of semester

Living with a host family is an integral component of the SIT Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity program. Homestays provide students a unique window into the daily life, values, and perspectives of Moroccan families as well as an opportunity to practice language skills, particularly darija (Moroccan Arabic), and in some cases also French. The Migration Studies program contains two homestay experiences in very different environments, illustrating to students the enormous differences between life in urban and rural Moroccan communities.

Rabat
Students live with middle and working class families in Rabat for seven weeks. Homestay families are located in the city's 17th century medina, a captivating and historic area of Rabat with an original and independent architectural style.

With their host families, students experience Moroccan daily life, accompanying family members on regular activities such as shopping in the souk, café outings, and taking bread to the neighborhood faran (local bakery). They also have the opportunity to visit the hammam (Moroccan public bath). Homestays provide an opportunity to participate in family cultural events, which could include family weddings or newborn naming ceremonies. Students also may be invited by their host brother or sister to the weekly soccer match.

The homestay in Rabat is coordinated by the program's host institution, the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL), which has been collaborating with homestay families for more than a decade.

Village Stay
Students live with families in the inland village of Fqih Ben Saleh for 4-5 days. Most of the selected homestays have family members or extended relatives living abroad, which allows students to experience the dynamics of migration from the perspective of families who have remained in Morocco.

During their time in Fqih Ben Saleh, students meet in discussion groups with rural youth from the village. Together, the groups debate issues related to youth emigration, particularly to Europe, as well as the impacts of emigration on local communities and the family structure. By living and in visiting Fqih Ben Saleh, students experience Moroccan daily life far from the coast and acquire a stronger sense of village cultural dynamics as well as the development challenges facing rural Moroccan communities.

Other accommodations during the program include hostels or small hotels.