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Title Man, land and language A perspective on the Amazigh activism in Morocco and their search for recognition
Full text http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/27678
Date 2016
Author(s) Nicolaisen, Ida Dalsgaard; Møller, Felix Quist; Priisholm, Mads Neess; Mortensen, Jacob Skjold; Seltoft, Stine; Espinosa, Andrea Pérez; Steensen, Anna
Contributor(s) Hvenegård-lassen, Kirsten
Abstract This project examines how the Amazigh movements of Morocco use their culture as a resource to gain political influence. The empirical data has been collected in Rabat in March 2016 through a field study that includes participatory observations and two qualitative interviews involving several political activists. The data material will be analyzed mainly with help from Hylland Eriksen's book 'Ethnicity and Nationalism' and supplemented by the terms tactics and strategies as defined by Michel de Certeau. Furthermore, we use the research of scholars who have done similar work on the Amazigh movements and culture. Our studies indicate that The Amazigh movement face problems related to being a marginalized minority. They suffer under an arabization process as well as both segregation and assimilation from an oppressing government. This is why they fight for universalized values such as secularism, gender equality, human rights and democracy, the latter standing out as the paramount objective of their struggle. The Amazigh activists we interviewed use a wide variety of cultural tools to fight for these ideals. For example, they use the historical background of their people to create a narrative that highlights certain aspects of the past. This narrative helps to claim these universalized principles and link them to their cultural identity. Also, they speak their native language publicly to gain visibility, educate and raise awareness with the aim of gaining recognition from international authorities. Media such as TV, radio and the internet, especially in terms of social media are also effective tools to promote their cause. In conclusion, we found that the Amazigh activists used their culture in many different ways to reach their political goals.
Subject(s) Morocco; Amazigh; Berber; Culture; Equality; activism; tools; fieldwork; Thomas Hylland Eriksen; De Certeau
Language en
Type of publication Thesis; Kultur- og sprogmødestudier / Cultural Encounters - not master thesis
Repository Roskilde - Roskilde University Digital Archive (RUDAR)
Added to C-A: 2016-05-30;09:04:33