DOCSLIB.ORG

The Moroccan Diaspora and Its Contribution to the Development of Innovation in Morocco

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Moroccan Diaspora and Its Contribution to the Development of Innovation in Morocco CHAPTER 8 123 The Moroccan Diaspora and its Contribution to the Development of Innovation in Morocco NOUR-EddINE BOUKHAROUAA, Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office (OMPIC), chapter coordinator MARWAN BERRADA, Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs 8: The Moroccan Diaspora Moroccan The 8: AbdELHAK CHAIBI, Association R&D Morocco SALMA DINIA, National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) AbdEssELAM EL FTOUH, Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad ADIL EL MALIKI, KARIMA FARAH, and ILHAM BENNANI, Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office (OMPIC) OMAR ELYOUssOUFI, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training YAssINE OUARDIRHI, Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy Morocco has always been a cross- has worked in Morocco that can be MLAs shows a strong predominance roads, a place where people are applied to other countries at a similar of young and working-age people.1 mobile and aware of other cultures. level of development. Men comprise 55% of this group, Its location on the borders of three The examples given here are with women making up 45% (see distinctive worlds—the Arab world, presented to demonstrate some Figure 1a, 1b). This gender distri- North Africa, and Europe—and approaches that have been successful bution represents the feminization alongside both the Atlantic Ocean for Morocco in the hopes that they of migration over time. Although and the Mediterranean Sea has will prove useful for other develop- these data are from 2005 (no newer meant that its people can embrace ing countries confronting the same data are available), nevertheless they international contact and cultural, issues. These examples are offered indicate a trend. economic, and scientific exchange. in the same spirit of exchange that is Highly skilled Moroccans (those Today the mobilization of a found to be so useful and necessary with a tertiary or graduate degree) highly educated workforce is an to the successful implementation of make up 15% of the Moroccan important part of international innovation strategies. Diaspora (Figure 1c). This comes migration strategies. However, the to more than 400,000 Moroccans lack of qualified human resources living abroad who have either a in a globalized and competitive Moroccans throughout the world bachelor’s or graduate degree. The marketplace that requires knowl- In 2012, about 4.5 million trans-generational socioeconomic edge and know-how generates new Moroccans—15% of its total popula- ascent of the immigrant population, reasons for Morocco’s population to tion—were living abroad. Although especially considering the flow of be mobile. Indeed, the expertise of this group was originally comprised graduates of Moroccan higher edu- Moroccans living abroad can answer of men who migrated on their own cation out of the country, is poised to specific needs of the nation’s emerg- after World War II, when Europe create a high concentration of highly ing sectors. needed manpower for reconstruc- skilled workers among those living This chapter aims to describe tion, a recent move towards family abroad. It should be noted that these some of the programmes that have reunification has meant that wives people consist not only of MLAs who been put in place to assist Moroccans have now joined their husbands. The had already received their bachelor’s Living Abroad (MLAs) in order to feminization of the group of MLAs degrees in Morocco when they emi- enhance the development of innova- has continued, with the migration grated, but also includes a generation tion in Morocco. The chapter exam- of single women reflecting the of their children who were educated ines the production of intellectual evolving emancipation of women in in the new country of residence. It is property, with a focus on patents Moroccan society. especially noteworthy that the share by the MLA population as a proxy According to a survey conducted of persons with a university diploma for the development of innovation, in 2005 by the High Commissioner is twice as high among the MLAs as and draws some lessons about what for the Plan, the age pyramid among it is among the domestic Moroccan THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2014 124 Figure 1: Characteristics of Moroccans living abroad, 2005 1a: Age distribution 1b: Gender distribution 1c: Educational attainment 8: The Moroccan Diaspora Moroccan The 8: n Under 15 (29%) n Men (55%) n No formal education (18%) n 15–60 (68%) n Women (45%) n Primary school (22%) n Over 60 (3%) n Secondary school (25%) n Tertiary education: less than 2 years (20%) Tertiary or graduate degree (15%) Source: High Commissioner for the Plan, 2005. population. It is important to point over the years, when considered in Professionals and the innovative output out here that all programmes put conjunction with the change in the of the Moroccan Diaspora in place in Morocco aim to involve numbers of highly skilled MLAs, Identifying the skilled members highly educated MLAs in contribut- reveals that the MLAs file more of the Diaspora who contribute ing to the development of Moroccan patents, especially in recent years. actively to innovation is extremely innovation. According to this analysis, 876 difficult because the data are often More than 32,000 MLAs are patent applications published under simply not available. For example, senior executives or professionals in the PCT have been filed by MLA scientific publications do not men- the private sector. They are mainly inventors at international locations tion the nationality of the authors, researchers, research and develop- in the 16 years from 1995 through and some authors have more than ment (R&D) managers, university 2011 (Figure 3). one nationality. professors, and business people. This large number of Moroccans However, Patent Cooperation The Moroccan Diaspora is filing for patents abroad illustrates Treaty (PCT) patent applications mainly located in France (32%), the important role that research present a unique feature: they Spain (20%), Italy (12%), and other laboratories in developed countries specify the place of residence and European countries, Arab countries play in stimulating creativity and nationality of applicants. Thus an (6%), the United States of America invention among Moroccan scien- analysis of patents issued under the (USA) and Canada (together 3%), tists abroad. PCT enables the identification of and some African and Asian coun- The geographical distribution patents by inventors who belong to tries (Figure 2). It would be useful of the patents of the Moroccan the Moroccan Diaspora, which can to look at data about the skill level Diaspora shows that they are concen- serve as a proxy for determining of the MLAs for each country, but trated in the three countries: France, MLA inventors. An analysis of the these data are unfortunately not the USA, and Spain. This finding change to PCT patent applications available. illustrates the correlation between THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2014 125 Figure 2: Geographic distribution of Moroccans living abroad, 2013 35 30 Diaspora Moroccan The 8: 25 20 Percent 15 10 5 0 France Spain Italy Belgium Arab countries Netherlands Germany Canada USA Others Source: Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs, 2013a. Figure 3: PCT patents of inventors of the Moroccan Diaspora, 1995–2011 80 70 60 50 40 30 Number of patents of Number 20 10 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Source: Patent Scope Database available at http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/. Note: It should be noted that, starting in 2012, information on the nationality of the inventors of PCT patents is no longer available through the Patents Scope Database. THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2014 126 Figure 4: Regional mapping of patents of the Moroccan Diaspora 40 8: The Moroccan Diaspora Moroccan The 8: 35 30 25 20 15 Percent of patents of Percent 10 5 0 France USA Spain Switzerland Germany Netherlands Belgium Canada Italy UK Japan Korea, Rep. Sweden Others Source: The patent database of the European Patent Office, available at http://ep.espacenet.com/ the number of Moroccan students This research looks only at Moroccan few Moroccan emigrant inventors— in these countries who became inventors living abroad, not all only 2.39%—return to their home researchers and the number of patent Moroccan inventors (Figure 4). country to file patents at home.4 applications they file. Indeed, most A breakdown of the PCT pat- Two conclusions can be drawn Moroccan migrant students settle in ents of inventors from the Moroccan from these data: the country of their studies. Diaspora by technical field shows 1. Moroccan competencies—pro- From Figures 2 and 4, we can that 20% of the patents belong fessional workers, organizations, conclude that the geographic distri- to medical sciences, followed by and academic institutions— bution of MLAs and the geographic organic chemistry with a share of abroad contribute to innovation distribution of Moroccan patent 10% and then biochemistry with 8%. at a global level. applications are correlated—see, for Moroccan inventors oper- example, the data for France and ate in research centres that range 2. MLAs constitute a scientific po- Spain. Note, however, that very few from university research laborato- tential of creativity and innova- MLAs are living in the USA, but that ries and those of private companies tion for Morocco through mo- country has a very high percent of to national
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Moroccan Diaspora in France: Community Building on Yabiladi Portal
    ISSN: 2347-7474 International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities Available online at: www.ijassh.com RESEARCH ARTICLE Moroccan Diaspora in France: Community Building on Yabiladi Portal Tarik Samak Abstract Over the last decade, social networking sites emerge as an ideal tool of communication that facilitate interaction among people online. At the same time, in a world which is characterized by massive waves of migration, globalization results in the construction of the diaspora who seek through new ways to build communities. Within this framework, while traditional media have empowered diaspora members to maintain ties and bonds with their homeland and fellow members, the emergence of social media have offered new opportunities for diasporas to get involved in diasporic identity and community construction. The creation of several diasporic groups on social media like Yabiladi.com and WAFIN.be, respectively in France and Belguim, emphasize the vital role they play in everyday lives of the diaspora. To study the importance and implications of these online communities for diaspora members and investigate their online practices, this article carries out a virtual ethnography of the Moroccan community on Yabiladi portal in France. By means of the qualitative approach of interviews, this article aims at justifying whether the online groups of diasporic diasporic Moroccans in France can be defined as communities, and whether social networking sites can be considered as an alternative landscape for the diaspora to create links with other diasporic members. This article, through users’ experience, provides deep understanding of Yabiladi members’ beliefs about the ‘‘community’’ and their online daily practices which enable them to ‘‘imagine’’ it as a community.
    [Show full text]
  • The Question of 'Race' in the Pre-Colonial Southern Sahara
    The Question of ‘Race’ in the Pre-colonial Southern Sahara BRUCE S. HALL One of the principle issues that divide people in the southern margins of the Sahara Desert is the issue of ‘race.’ Each of the countries that share this region, from Mauritania to Sudan, has experienced civil violence with racial overtones since achieving independence from colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s. Today’s crisis in Western Sudan is only the latest example. However, very little academic attention has been paid to the issue of ‘race’ in the region, in large part because southern Saharan racial discourses do not correspond directly to the idea of ‘race’ in the West. For the outsider, local racial distinctions are often difficult to discern because somatic difference is not the only, and certainly not the most important, basis for racial identities. In this article, I focus on the development of pre-colonial ideas about ‘race’ in the Hodh, Azawad, and Niger Bend, which today are in Northern Mali and Western Mauritania. The article examines the evolving relationship between North and West Africans along this Sahelian borderland using the writings of Arab travellers, local chroniclers, as well as several specific documents that address the issue of the legitimacy of enslavement of different West African groups. Using primarily the Arabic writings of the Kunta, a politically ascendant Arab group in the area, the paper explores the extent to which discourses of ‘race’ served growing nomadic power. My argument is that during the nineteenth century, honorable lineages and genealogies came to play an increasingly important role as ideological buttresses to struggles for power amongst nomadic groups and in legitimising domination over sedentary communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Returns at What Cost
    JUNE 2019 Returns at what cost Policy Brief The challenges of placing readmissions at the heart of EU migration policies Introduction1 whose asylum request has been rejected to their countries of origin – or countries Ana Uzelac The introduction in 2016 of the of residence prior to arrival comprehensive EU migration partnership strategy with the countries of the north In the course of the past two years notable and western Africa has already produced – if not always unequivocally seen as an uneven record - both in terms of policy positive – advances have been made in effectiveness and in terms of impact on terms of curbing arrivals and dispersing the credibility of other long-standing EU funding aimed at addressing root causes and policy commitments. Created at a long supporting refugee-hosting countries. But series of summits and conferences in the the question of returns and readmissions has past decade, the series of policy measures proven to be an extraordinarily difficult one and financial incentives offered through to tackle, with most of the targeted countries various agreements and specifically designed of origin and transit showing clear reluctance funding envelopes has had as its main to accept organized mass returns of their ambition to lower the number of migrants to citizens from the EU. the EU by a combination of four main sets of measures: This policy brief looks at the underlying - security measures aimed at discouraging challenges of implementing EU returns and preventing irregular arrivals (border agenda from the point of view of both EU controls, surveillance etc.) and individual member states – and from - measures aimed at tackling the root the point of view of the countries of origin/ causes of mass migration (such as job transit.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Report MOROCCO
    Country report MOROCCO Summary Morocco’s stable growth and banking sector, despite the global crisis, mark the county’s present relatively sound economic state. Although Morocco suffered from lower inflows of remittances, less tourism and reduced textile exports related to contracting European markets, expansionary economic policies were feeding domestic demand and almost fully compensated for these external demand reductions. Growth reached over 5% in 2009. Unemployment, already high among younger Moroccans, remains an urgent issue as failure to reduce it may lead to social unrest. Morocco’s governance indicators are in line with most of its neighbouring countries, but clearly below the lowest west-European levels of Greece. Compared with its immediate peers, Morocco’s declining public debt at still 54% of GDP may be somewhat on the high side, but foreign debt is rather low at 20% of GDP. Foreign reserves are sufficient at 7 months of import value, indicating a favourable short term ability to pay. Economic policies and performance plus adequate political stability promise also favourable payment behaviour in the medium to longer term. Things to watch: • Growth in the European export markets • Prominence of currently minor militant Islamist groups Author: Leendert Colijn Country Risk Research Economic Research Department Rabobank Nederland Contact details: P.O.Box 17100, 3500 HG Utrecht, The Netherlands +31-(0)30-21-67063 [email protected] June 2010 Rabobank Economic Research Department Page: 1/7 Country report MOROCCO Morocco
    [Show full text]
  • Claiming the “Moroccan-Dutch”: Dual Nationality and Interacting Citizenship Regimes
    AWG93x6:AWG.9 6/14/07 1:11 PM Page 168 Claiming the “Moroccan-Dutch”: Dual Nationality and Interacting Citizenship Regimes Inge van der Welle Amsterdam Institute of Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt), Universiteit van Amsterdam, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, 1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/9/3/168/1449674/arwg_9_3_34p2637481780885.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 In today’s globalizing world, national citizenship pédition ». Le débat expose les tensions qui regimes no longer exist in isolation but are inter- surviennent lors d’une conceptualisation exclu- acting more and more. People are increasingly sive de la citoyenneté dans un contexte de sécuri- connected across nation-state borders, and a sation et d’intégration d’une part et de la substantial and growing number of the inhabi- continuation d’une politique de contrôle de la tants of European states hold dual nationality. citoyenneté extra-territoriale des générations As a result, people are more likely to experience diasporiques futures, de l’autre. conflicting or competing national citizenship regimes. This article investigates the interacting Mots-clés : double nationalité, citoyenneté, citizenship regimes that confront the Moroccan- Maroc, Pays-Bas Dutch. These citizenship regimes are looked at from a migration perspective, with a focus on the interaction between the Netherlands as “receiving Introduction country” and Morocco as the “sending country.” The discussion illustrates the tensions arising In June 2005, the Dutch minister of immigra- from an exclusionist conceptualization of citizen- tion and integration, Rita Verdonk, visited ship in a context of securitization and integration Morocco at the invitation of Nouzha and a continuation of diaspora engagement poli- Chekrouni, the Moroccan minister responsi- cies and extraterritorial citizenship over genera- ble for Moroccans residing abroad (les tions.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Perceptions of the French Community in Morocco
    SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2019 Self-Perceptions of the French Community in Morocco Madeleine L. Breunig Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the French and Francophone Language and Literature Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Migration Studies Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF THE FRENCH COMMUNITY IN MOROCCO Breunig, Madeleine L SIT Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity Abstract: North-South migration is growing trend; however, this type of migration is overlooked in the literature because it is not viewed as urgent or negative. Migrants from the global North are associated with wealth, and are referred to by the term expatriate, which distinguishes them from migrants, placing them in a more positive light. In Morocco, there is a growing community of Europeans. Among them, the French community stands out as one of the largest migrant groups in Morocco. Their presence is an interesting one, as they have a shared history with Morocco and a common language in Morocco, in theory facilitating their integration. This study aims to find out whether the French in Morocco view themselves as migrants or expatriates and their perceived integration in Morocco. 14 interviews, informal group conversations and visits to French Institutions in Morocco were conducted with French citizens. Overall, members of the French community do not identify as migrants, associating the term with negative connotations. Despite having a shared language with Moroccans, they do not view themselves as integrated because their lack of knowledge in Arabic.
    [Show full text]
  • Matrix of Diaspora Institutions
    Taxonomy of the Diaspora-Engaging Institutions in 30 Developing Countries More than ever, diasporas — the “scattered seeds” most governments previously ignored and in some cases even maligned — are increasingly seen as agents of development. Aware of this potential, some developing countries have established institutions to more systematically facilitate ties with their diasporas, defined as emigrants and their descendants who have maintained strong sentimental and material links with their countries of origin. The number of countries with diaspora institutions has increased especially in the last ten years, and they range across multiple continents, from Armenia to Somalia to Haiti to India. This table lists the objectives and activities of 45 of these diaspora-engaging institutions in 30 developing countries as well as the year of their creation and links to the institutions' websites, if available. Source: Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, ed. Closing the Distance: How Governments Strengthen Ties with Their Diasporas. (Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute, 2009). Copyright 2010 Migration Policy Institute www.migrationpolicy.org/research/migration_development.php Diaspora Institutions by Type Country Institution Year Key objectives Sample of activities Web site created Ministry-level institutions Armenia Ministry of 2008 Preserve Armenian Planned activities include extending http://www.mindiaspora.am/ Diaspora identity. Discover and tap equal medical aid and educational into the potential of the support to diasporas abroad and diaspora to help empower organizing a series of conferences, the homeland. Facilitate competitions, and festivals in repatriation efforts.1 Armenia. Bangladesh Ministry of 2001 Mainly protect the Provides job placement and http://probashi.gov.bd Expatriates’ overseas employment programs, offers training and Welfare and sector.
    [Show full text]
  • MOROCCO © 2019 African Development Bank Group All Rights Reserved
    COUNTRY RESULTS BRIEF 2019 MOROCCO © 2019 African Development Bank Group All rights reserved. Published November 2018 African Development Bank Group COUNTRY RESULTS BRIEF 2019 – Morocco The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the African Development Bank (the Bank), its Board of Governors, its Board of Directors or the governments they represent. The Bank and its Board of Directors do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accept no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, The Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. The Bank encourages printing or copying information exclusively for personal and non-commercial use with proper acknowledgment of AfDB. Users are restricted from reselling, redistributing, or creating derivative works for commercial purposes without the express, written consent of the Bank. Note: In this report, “$” refers to US dollars. African Development Bank Group Avenue Jean-Paul II 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire CONTENTS THE FIRST CLIENT OF THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK 1 CROSS-CUTTING AND STRATEGIC AREAS 4 LIGHT UP AND POWER MORROCO 9 Coming out of energy dependence 9 Executive summary 1 Becoming a pioneer in the development of clean energies 10 Partnering to reach middle-income status by 2025 3 An innovative
    [Show full text]
  • Public Opinion on the Religious Authority of the Moroccan King
    ISSUE BRIEF 05.14.19 Public Opinion on the Religious Authority of the Moroccan King Annelle Sheline, Ph.D., Zwan Postdoctoral Fellow, Rice University’s Baker Institute rationalism, and the Sufi tradition of Imam INTRODUCTION Junayd.1 According to the government Morocco has worked to establish itself as narrative, these constitute a specifically a bulwark against religious extremism Moroccan form of Islam that inoculates the in recent years: the government trains kingdom against extremism. One of the women to serve as religious guides, or most significant components of Moroccan “mourchidates,” to counteract violent Islam is the figure of the Commander of the messaging; since launching in 2015, the Faithful or “Amir al-Mu’mineen,” a status Imam Training Center has received hundreds held by the Moroccan king, who claims of imams from Europe and Africa to study descent from the Prophet Mohammad. The Moroccan Islam; in 2016, in response to figure of the Commander of the Faithful is ISIS atrocities against Yazidis, the king of unique to Morocco; no other contemporary 2 Morocco gathered esteemed Muslim leaders Muslim head of state holds a similar title. to release The Marrakesh Declaration on Morocco’s efforts to counteract the rights that Islam guarantees to non- extremist forms of Islam, and military Muslims. Such initiatives have contributed partnership with the U.S. and EU, have to Morocco’s international reputation as a cemented the kingdom’s reputation as a bastion of religious tolerance under state key ally in combatting terrorism. Yet while stewardship of religion. Mohammed VI’s role as a religious figure But to what extent do Moroccans view is frequently noted in media coverage, such state leadership in religion favorably, few studies have sought to evaluate or see head of state King Mohammed VI as whether Moroccan citizens trust their king To what extent do 3 a source of religious authority? According as an authority on religious matters.
    [Show full text]
  • Amazight Identity in the Post Colonial Moroccan State
    Oberlin College Amazight Identity in The Post Colonial Moroccan State: A Case Study in Ethnicity An Honors Thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology by Morag E. Boyd Oberlin, Ohio April, 1997 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisers in Morocco, Abdelhay Moudden and Susan Schaefer Davis for the direction they gave me, but also for the direction that they did not. My honors adviser, Jack Glazier, was vital in the development of this thesis from the product of a short period of research to the form it is in now; I am grateful for his guidance. I would also like to thank the entire Oberlin College Department of Anthropology for guiding and supporting me during my discovery of anthropology. Finally, I must thank my family and friends for their support, especially Josh. Table of Contents Chapter one: Introduction . 1 I: Introduction . 1 II: Fieldwork and Methodology .3 Chapter two: Theoretical Foundations .7 I: Ethnicity ..... 7 II: Political Symbolism .15 Chapter three: History, Organization, and Politics . 19 I: Historical Background .. ........... .. ... 19 II: Ramifications of Segmentary Lineage and Tribal Heritage . 22 Segmentary Lineage and Tribes Tribes, Power, and Politics Political Heritage and Amazight Ethnicity III: Arabization and Colonization . .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Contemporary ramification IV: Amazight identity and government today .... .. .. 39 Chapter four: Finding Amazight Ethnicity . 44 I: Perceptions of Amazight Identity . 44 Markers of Ethnicity Ethnic Boundaries and Maintenance of ethnic Identity Basic Value Orientation Significance of Amazight Ethnicity Common History as a Source of Group Cohesion Urban and Rural Divide II: Language.... ...... ... .... .. ...... 54 Language and Education Daily Language III: Religion ' .60 IV: Conclusions .63 Chapter Five: Conclusions .
    [Show full text]
  • Moroccan Diaspora in France: Community Building on Yabiladi Portal
    Journal of Identity and Migration Studies Volume 10, number 2, 2016 Moroccan Diaspora in France: Community Building on Yabiladi Portal Tarik SAMAK Abstract. Over the last decade, social networking sites emerge as an ideal tool of communication that facilitates interaction among people online. At the same time, in a world that is characterized by massive waves of migration, globalization results in the construction of the Diaspora who seek through new ways to build communities. Within this framework, while traditional media have empowered diaspora members to maintain ties and bonds with their homeland and fellow members, the emergence of social media have offered new opportunities for diasporas to get involved in diasporas identity and community construction. The creation of several diasporas groups on social media like Yabiladi.com and WAFIN.be, respectively in France and Belguim, emphasize the vital role they play in everyday lives of the Diaspora. To study the importance and implications of these online communities for Diaspora members and investigate their online practices, this article carries out a virtual ethnography of the Moroccan community on Yabiladi portal in France. By means of the qualitative approach of interviews, this article aims at justifying whether the online groups of diasporas Moroccans in France can be defined as communities, and whether social networking sites can be considered as an alternative landscape for the Diaspora to create links with other diasporas members. This article, through users’ experience, provides deep understanding of Yabiladi members’ beliefs about the ‘‘community’’ and their online daily practices which enable them to ‘‘imagine’’ it as a community. Keywords: Moroccan Diaspora, community, social networking sites, Internet, ethnography Introduction In general terms, migration is not a new practice for humanity, nor is the investigation of migration a new area of research for academic studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Uhm Phd 4580 R.Pdf
    4550 UNIVERSiTY OF Hj~W/\n LIBRARY DIALECT LEVELING, MAINTENANCE AND URBAN IDENTITY IN MOROCCO FESSI IMMIGRANTS IN CASABLANCA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN LINGUISTICS MAY 2005 By Atiqa Hachimi Dissertation Committee: Michael L. Fonnan, Co-Chairperson Miriam Meyerhoff, Co-Chairperson Patricia J. Donegan Ibrahim G. Aoude Robert J. Littman ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my deepest and sincere thanks to both my supervisors: Professors Michael L. Forman and Miriam Meyerhoff. Professor Michael L. Forman has been there from the very beginning and has supported me in all my endeavors. His guidance and intellectual stimulation have been instrumental in developing my understanding of sociolinguistics. I am grateful to him for introducing me to linguistic anthropology and to advising me to explore the richness of language. His kindness and sense of humor have kept me going for all these years. I am particularly indebted to my advisor and chair, Professor Miriam Meyerhoff, who has constantly been pushing me to go beyond my limits. She has always had faith in me when I believed I had already given my best. I am grateful to her for introducing me to variationist linguistics and for her brilliant insights. She gave me invaluable advice, guidance and critiqued my work, and materially improved my understanding of my own work. I am deeply humbled by her generosity and big heart. She invited me to Edinburgh to help me with my work and she was a gracious host.
    [Show full text]