Casablanca Jungle Music and Positive Youth Development in Morocco Figure 1. Audience of L'Boulevard 2018 (i.e. music festival in Casablanca) A master thesis in International Development Written by Maha Rhannam ID: 11598891 Under the supervision of Dr. Oliver Seibt Second reader: Dr. Olga Nieuwenhuijs Graduate School of Social Sciences University of Amsterdam 2 Abstract This thesis will be discussing the impact of music engagement on urban youth in Morocco, and more particularly the ways in which music contributes to the empowerment of this population. It will also explore its implications on development strategies in the country. Multiple studies have discussed the evolution of hip-hop in Morocco, however they have failed to encompass the impact of this genre (and other genres as well) on the urban youth of the country. For these purposes, this research aims at uncovering the imprints of music in this day and age on the Moroccan urban youth, both musicians and music aficionados, in the current political and social climates of Morocco. This research is based on an ethnographic study of music-related events (concerts, workshops and open mics) in Casablanca. In order to understand this population segment, qualitative interviews were conducted; all of which demonstrate to some extent the ways in which music empowered, individually or collectively, the aforementioned participants. It seems that music acts more as a “bandaid” for the Moroccan urban youth, as shall be presented throughout this research. Considering the inexistence of a functioning music industry in the country as well as a brittle educational system, this thesis calls for governmental strategies to re-evaluate the importance of arts within education, setting them at the forefront of development strategies in light of the development pathways this could open up for Morocco. key words: music, urban youth, empowerment, development, Morocco 3 Acknowledgments Attending this master program and conducting this particular thesis would not have been possible without the help of a particular person, my mother. I would thus like to thank her first and foremost for believing in me, believing in this particular research topic and all in all, allowing me to enroll in this master. I would also want to thank all of the people who have helped me during my fieldwork. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Soukaina Fadli and Omar Nadi for providing accommodation for me to stay in when in Casablanca. I would also like also thank Ali Bengelloun and Hamza Mdouari who acted as my research assistants during some of the events that I have attended. Considering the difficulties and uncertainties attached to the thesis writing process, I have at numerous times asked for the advice of some of my social sciences graduate colleagues whom I wish to thank. My sincerest thanks to Myriam Ait Malk, Fatima Zohra Bensaid, Yasmine Morchadi, Anouk Strandstra and Sara Senouci for their continuous help and advices. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Oliver Seibt who has provided me with guidance through the thesis elaboration phase as well as during my writing process. 4 TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 3 LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................. 6 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2: HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT ....................................................................................... 11 HISTORICAL AND SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXT OF MOROCCO ............................................................................................ 11 a) Brief overview ..................................................................................................................................... 11 b) Political context and its connections to music .................................................................................... 11 c) Social and cultural context ................................................................................................................. 12 CASABLANCA: AN OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 15 (URBAN) YOUTH IN MOROCCO ................................................................................................................................ 17 MUSIC IN MOROCCO ............................................................................................................................................. 18 a) Overview of music genres in the country ............................................................................................ 18 b) Hip-hop in Morocco ............................................................................................................................ 19 c) Electronic music in Morocco ............................................................................................................... 20 d) What now? ......................................................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................................................................... 24 EMPOWERMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 24 i) Positive Youth Development ............................................................................................................... 26 ii) Individual Empowerment ................................................................................................................... 27 iii) Collective empowerment .................................................................................................................... 28 iv) Potential risky attitudes within the framework .................................................................................. 29 STUART HALL’S AUDIENCE RECEPTION THEORY ............................................................................................................. 30 OPERATIONALIZATION OF MAJOR CONCEPTS ............................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 34 EPISTEMOLOGY & RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................................................ 34 UNITS OF ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................ 34 DATA COLLECTION METHODS ................................................................................................................................... 34 Interviews ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 Participant Observation ............................................................................................................................... 35 Document analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 36 SAMPLING ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 DATA ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 Critical discourse analysis ............................................................................................................................ 37 ETHICS AND LIMITATIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 37 METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS .............................................................................................................................. 38 CHAPTER 5: INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT .................................................................................................... 41 SELF ESTEEM ......................................................................................................................................................... 41 a) Self-esteem of musicians .................................................................................................................... 41 b) Self-esteem of the music aficionados ................................................................................................. 44 RESILIENCE ........................................................................................................................................................... 46