Globalization, the Internet and Guilty Pleasures in Morocco
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by E-space: Manchester Metropolitan University's Research Repository Sociology and Anthropology 3(9): 456-466, 2015 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.030905 Globalization, the Internet and Guilty Pleasures in Morocco Mansour Pourmehdi Department of Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom Copyright © 2015 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract This paper explores the ways in which the globalization without it. internet as the engine of globalization contributes to the One view is that the rapid growth of the internet around the spread of a global culture by transforming traditional world will accelerate the spread of global culture whilst cultural values. Morocco has been at the crossroad of others believe that the internet is very much compatible globalising forces for sometimes, yet the cultural values that with traditional cultural values. A global culture is not a treat men and women differently remain strong. Using bigger version of culture of a nation state but refers to; questionnaires and interviews, this research finds that the internet facilitates the breakdown of traditional boundaries Trans-societal cultural processes which take a variety that militate against sharing space and mixing with the of forms, some of which have preceded the inter-state opposite sex. The internet acts as a medium, which relations into which nation-states can be regarded as empowers individuals to behave in ways that breach being embedded, and processes which sustain the Moroccan social norms, allowing young people to evade exchange and flow of goods, people, information, traditional barriers to romance by sidestepping cultural knowledge and images which give rise to taboos without breaking them. communication processes which gain some autonomy on a global level . Hence, there may be emerging sets Keywords Globalization, the Internet, Networks, of 'third cultures’. [9] p.1. Cultural Homogenization, Romance, Life Styles It has been argued that the global culture, one approximating the cultures of Europe and North America, based on freedom of speech and consumerism, pursuit of pleasure will spread around the world as the internet 1. Introduction penetration grows [1]. “Globalization is diffusing a single world culture centered Globalization refers to the movement of people, capital, on consumerism, mass media, Americana and the English information, life styles and ideologies [1]. The internet has language” [10] p.26. Although, the notion of a global culture been viewed by some as an engine of globalization [2,3] is hard to define, it refers to the ways in which people around whilst scorned by others as heralding cultural imperialism the world share certain values and life styles, sharing similar [4]. For others, the internet is celebrated as a tool that media and consumer products due to dilution of local and overcomes the dualism of the local and the global [5]. It has national cultures by globalizing forces, notably, digital been argued that Western culture has been spreading to communication, satellite television and the Internet, which other cultures, and this cultural invasion has particularly know no national borders and governmental control, “Many affected global youth because they are technologically national controls over information have become ineffective. capable and computer savvy. It is claimed that the internet People everywhere are exposed to the values of other helps to alienate people from their local culture and heritage. cultures as never before” [11] p.17. The internet and the media are also effective political tools The spectre of a world culture dominated by western that can manipulate people’s views and opinions [6]. The values and consumerism has alarmed a number of academics internet is not objective and free of values [7,8]. Thus, for including Hannerz [12], Canclini [13], Howes [14], some observers the internet is a tool at the service of Tomlinson [15], Ritzer [16]. One cannot ignore the imperialism, which enhances cultural, economic and availability and accessibility of western consumer and media political empowerment of the West. Indeed, technology in products, which in turn provide access to western values and general is vital to globalization and there could be no consumer life styles that on the surface appears as if the Sociology and Anthropology 3(9): 456-466, 2015 457 global culture is explicitly Westernization and 2. Attitudes towards Premarital Americanization. Sexuality in Morocco It has been noted that in late modernity, people can select from a variety of life styles, and traditions and customs do Morocco is located in what used to be called the Maghreb not shape people’s lives as they once did. The community in in North Africa and has a population of 32,987,206 [27]. which they were born less influences people’s identities. Morocco has a close relationship with Europe, particularly Communities of the past provided their members with solid France her former colonial power. In the 1980’s, Morocco guidelines, concerning how they should conduct their lives. embarked on economic reforms and ever since has Their communities influenced their values and ethics [17,18]. exploited her geographical closeness to Europe and low Globalization has brought the individual to the center. It is labour costs in order to attract foreign investment and now up to the individual to construct her/his own identity. pursue an open market economy. Caught in the midst of global flows, the burden of tradition Islamic societies, compared with Western countries are and conventional values are declining, compelling us to conservative on matters such as sexuality, gender equality, redefine our identities, intimate relationships, and other etc. and highly oppose sexual freedom. This is reflected in aspects of our lives including our sexuality [19]. their intolerant attitudes towards abortion, divorce and The extent to which globalisation is affecting family and homosexuality [28]. The Moroccan culture is heavily intimate relationships through information technologies and influenced by Islamic values and tradition, and places a the internet has been investigated by Padilla et al [20], high value on family honour. The family’s reputation is Valentine [21], Ilouz [22]. This is reflected in Altman [23] largely dependent on the conduct of its female members who states that globalization leads to the relocation of where an intact hymen symbolizes a proper family difference. Consequently, people belonging to specific upbringing. Despite recent push towards modernization and groups might find that they share more common interests economic growth, Morocco remains a conservative society with people in other parts of the world than those whom in which premarital sex is illegal. Those unfortunate enough with they share the same geographical location. Similarly, to be caught will face public humiliation as well as Jackson [24] points to cultural differences and the imprisonment. significance of the local and contends that the economic In Morocco, family honour depends on the chastity of supremacy of the West and its accompanying political women [29,30,26]. Unmarried women and men often are influence does not fundamentally result in cultural prohibited from forming friendship without supervision. domination of the world. On the other hand, while Like other MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries, globalization is changing the world, our societies and our men belong to public space; they provide for their families daily experiences; established institutions have often failed by going to work and earning an income whilst women’s to keep up with these transformations. This paradox of place is often in the private space where they look after the change alongside tradition is nowhere more apparent in the home and family. Keeping women like this, in theory will case of sexual mores and particularly people in Muslim help to ensure they remain a virgin, hence protecting family societies. honour. It has been argued that Moroccan women are living The idea that globalization is creating homogenous in a society, which is dominated by men who control their sexual identities has been challenged by Altman [23], sexuality, and in doing so increase their power and status. Blackwood [25] and Jackson [24] amongst others. This view has been challenged by Venema & Bakker [31] Commentators all agree that Western culture affects other page 51 who state that; cultures because of powerful media influences, yet they In reality, among the Berber people of the Middle nevertheless, argue that the local and global interact with Atlas, many divorced and widowed women see no one another and often this lead to conflict and tension at the economic alternative to becoming a prostitute. local level. The global culture has been created as the result Cultural and global conditions have made the area a of transnational cultural flows and media images. This permissive zone for prostitution because of the local enables people, especially, the youth to engage in romantic tradition of ritual dances that act as a marriage market, and sexual relationships that are not permitted outside the absence of a focus on virginity, and because retired marriage in traditional Muslim culture [26], yet marriage prostitutes can regain the respect of their community. remains important, especially for women who increasingly Since the 1960s, Moroccan migrants returning wish to express themselves sexually but are constantly temporarily home and male tourists from neighbouring reminded of the need to remain a virgin. This paper aims countries have given the Middle Atlas the permissive to explore how adult Moroccans construe internet-mediated zone for prostitution. romance? Globalization and social reform have brought the How Moroccan adults deal with social, cultural barriers to opposite sexes in closer contact and this is evident in mixed romance? In addition, to evaluate the extent to which global schools and workplaces.