ENGL 25
Morocco
Last Offered Winter 2008
Division II
Cross-listed ENGL 25 / PHIL 25
This course is not offered in the current catalog or this is a previous listing for a current course.

Students in this course will spend winter study in Morocco. Morocco presents a compelling blend of historical influences and modern world currents. Threads of Islam, Arab traditions, and the heritage of the native Berber people are woven into a distinctive cultural tapestry, while traces of French colonialism can still be seen in the political and social structure. Morocco is at the intersection of the West, the Middle East, and Africa. Travel there is therefore a powerful way to introduce intellectual themes that require and reward a subtle blending of insight from history, political science, religion, and philosophy. We will take the first steps in engaging some of these challenging topics in order to enable independent study facilitated by serious and multifaceted exposure to the country. For the first two weeks, students will study at the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) in Rabat, taking Arabic lessons (classical or Moroccan dialect) each morning and then gathering for lectures by local university faculty in the afternoon. During this span students will live with Moroccan families in the Rabat medina. In the third week of the course students will travel in the interior of Morocco, exploring Fez and Marrakech, riding camels in the desert, and hiking through Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains.