CULTURAL DIVERSITY :

COMMUNICATION AND SYMBOLS

 Table of contents :

Dedication

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction
2. Cultural diversity and communication
2.1. The scope of culture (definition)
2.2. Defining communication
2.3. Cultural diversity and communication in the Moroccan context
3. Culture and symbols.
3.1. An overview of symbols
3.2. Linguistics diversity in Morocco
3.3. The symbolic nature of culture
4. Cultural diversity, communication and symbolism in Morocco
4.1. Symbols and language in human culture
4.2. Cultural symbols and communication a Moroccan mindset
5. Data analysis (talking about the method of research i used)

Recommendations

References

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A diversification among communities is essential for the provision of the
incentive and material for the Odyssey of the human spirit. Other nations of
different habits are not enemies : They are godsends. Men require of their
neighbours something sufficiently akin to be understood, something sufficiently
different to provoke attention, and something great enough to command
admiration.

A.N. WHITEHEAD : Science and the Modern World.

1. Introduction:

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 Cultural diversity is one of the important issues and matters that should be discussed, the role of
cultural diversity in peoples’ life is very important, yet are not clearly understood. It is very
important to know the fact that various cultures means various facts and realities, and also various
consequences on the communities’ life and well being, and that when we understand each others’
defferences and the fact that they are people living in the same planet but dressing, eating , drinking
thinking diffrently and believing in other things way different of what once believe, then we will be
able to understand our selves, our behaviours and accept each others’ differences.

Cultural diversity should be considered when communicating with people from other cultures in
ordre to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpreting messages, people from other cultures are not
supposed to response or react the same way you do in your culture, one should understand that a
person's behaviors and reactions are often culturally driven which means that peoples’ reaction
towards a given situation is not necessarily the same, each one is going to react according to his
own cultural background, his own beliefs and own perspective.

Communication is based upon the use of mutually understood symbols. Language and other
systems of communication are deeply embedded in the culture that creates them. Communication
can be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal communication can occur through both writing and speaking.
Nonverbal communication also includes written communication, body language and gestures, and
alternative systems of communication such as Braille and sign language. Both verbal and nonverbal
communication depend on cultural context, each culture uses its own symbols, symbols that might
be used differently in other different culture for example when you create a circle with the thumb
and index finger, wich indicates “OK” in other countries, but in Morocco means “zero” or “bad”.

People create and interpret the meaning of all symbols solely through shared cultural
understanding. Communication can occur only if people know how to use and interpret a shared set
of symbols. The ability to communicate is thus rooted in culture. A culture's shared set of symbols
is produced and maintained through shared cultural beliefs, practices, traditions, and expectations.

The purpose of this study is to provide discussions of the perception of cultural diversity,
developping awareness, appreciation, and acceptance of other cultures, and also we’re developping
a discussion about the relationship between cultural diversity and communication and also
symbolism.

This study has three parts. First part is about general information about cultural diversity and
communication. This information has been taken from secondary sources and used as a source of

4
the study. The second part we’ll talking about culture and symbols and will shed the light on
linguistics diversity in Morocco, the last part is about communication and symbolism in Morocco
we’ll be talking about cultural symbols and communication in a Moroccan context.

2. Cultural diversity and communication:

2.1. Culture: Definition and scope:

Different definitions of culture have been proposed by anthropologists and other scholars
over the years, in order to make some reasonable sense out of something that, sometimes, seems to
defy logic. These multiple definitions have certainly contributed to a better intellectual
understanding of human characteristic, however the scope of culture can’t be looked at or defined
from one and only side or perspective but from a multiple and different sides, it can include
economic systems, political ideologies and processes, ways of life and social mores, educational
institutions, social programs, the environment, technological systems, customs and traditions,
artistic and heritage activities, transportation and communication industries, religious and spiritual
activities. Furthermore culture can be a property of an individual, as well as it can be the property of
a group, a nation, a tribe, an alliance, as well as a unity of various cultures in a global context.

An early definition presents culture as « that complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member
of society »Edward Burnett Tylor in 1871. In anthropology, it is meant by culture the patterns of
behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share: The
anthropologists commonly use the term culture to refer to a society or group in which many or all
people live and think in the same ways. Likewise, any group of people who share a common
culture, common rules of behavior and a basic form of social organization, constitutes a society.

Despite of how culture is conceptualized, anthropologists do agree that culture is more than
just beliefs or just behaviors. Culture is something that is learned, shared, integrated, and always
changing.

 Characteristics of culture:

Culture is learned: People are not born with a culture; they have to learn it, no one is born with an
inherent understanding of its culture: at an early age we begin to acquire from our social

5
environment a set of beliefs, values and customs that make up our culture. In all human societies,
children learn culture from adults. Anthropologists call this process enculturation, or cultural
transmission.

Culture is shared: Culture is social, it is a group product. People who live together in a society
share culture. For example, almost all people living in Morocco share the Arabic language, dress in
similar styles, eat the same foods, and celebrate the same holidays.

 Culture is symbolic: culture is based on a share of symbols, symbols that are used to communicate
by people in a society. It allows people to develop thoughts and to exchange those thoughts with
others. Language and other forms of symbolic communication, such as art, enable people to create,
explain, and record new ideas and information. For example, through symbols architects, engineers,
and construction workers can communicate the information necessary to construct a building or
bridge. 

Culture is integrated: Culture is an integrated system and patterned system, a degree of harmony is
necessary in any properly functioning culture, it means that all aspects of a culture function as an
integrated whole, any change in one part usually affect other parts as well

Culture is adaptive: culture is considered to be an adaptive mechanism because it provides behavior

patterns, strategies and techniques to help people to adapt and survive in a particular environment.
The mankind uses his culture as a mechanism to survive climate changes for instance and other
changes that might threat his existence. 

 Culture is cumulative: Culture is considered cumulative, because knowledge is stored in time and
passed from a generation to the next one, and new knowledge is added to what it exists. Each
culture finds out solutions and solves problems they face and then passes on to their children and so
on.

2.2. Defining communication:

“Communication is the intercourse by words, letters or messages”- Fred G. Meyer.

“Of all things communication is the most wonderful” John Dewey, Experience and Nature (1939,385)
“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons”,
Newman and Summer.

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- According to M. T. Myers and G.E. Myers, “Communication refers to a special kind of patterning: a
patterning which is expressed in symbolic form.” For communication to take place between or
among people, two requirements must be met: (1) a symbolic system must be shared by the people
involved (we need to speak the same language or jargon or dialects) and (2) the associations
between the symbols and their referents must be shared
- According to Katz and Kahn, “Communication is the exchange of information and the transmission of
meaning. It is the very essence of a social system of an organization”
- As per Davis, “communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one
another.”
Communication is deeply rooted in human behaviors and societies. It is quiet difficult to
think of social or behavioral events from which communication is absent. Indeed, communication
applies to shared behaviors and properties of any collection of things, whether they are human or
not.
Media critic and theorist James Carey defined communication as "a symbolic process
whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired and transformed" in his 1992 book
"Communication as Culture," positing that we define our reality via sharing our experience with
others. All creatures on earth have developed means in which to convey their emotions and thoughts
to one another.

The etymology of the word communication (from the Latin communicare) literally means

“to put in common”, “to share”. The term originally meant sharing of tangible things; food, land,
goods, and property. Today, it is often applied to knowledge and information processed by living
things or computers [8, p. 126].

We can now say from what we have seen above. That the meaning of the word
“communicate” is ‘to share’ or ‘to participate’. Other definitions say that communication is the
transmission of a message or information by speaking or writing. Other declares that
communication is giving or exchanging information, signals, messages by talk or gestures or
writing. Yet another definition says that communication is social intercourse.
Communication is all this and much more. There’s no specific and precise meaning or
definition to what communication is.

Communication is defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning (Pearson & Nelson,
2000) :

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 The first key word here in this definition is process. The communication process includes
the steps one should take in order to ensure we have succeeded in communicating. The
communication process comprises essential and interconnected elements detailed as following:

Source: The source comes up with an idea and sends a message in order to share information with
others. The source could be one other person or a group of people.

Message: The message is the information or subject matter the source is intending to share. It may
be an opinion, feelings, instructions, requests, or suggestions.

Channels: The source may encode information in the form of words, images, sounds, body
language, etc. There are many definitions and categories of communication channels to describe
their role in the communication process: verbal, non-verbal, written, and digital.

Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended. This person is charged with
decoding the message in an attempt to understand the intentions of the source. One thing the
receiver might try is to provide some kind of feedback to communicate back to the source that the
communication did not achieve full understanding and that the source should try again.

Environment: The environment is the physical and psychological space in which the

communication is happening (Mclean, 2005). It might also describe if the space is formal or
informal.

Context: The context is the setting, scene, and psychological and psychosocial expectations of the
source and the receiver(s) (McLean, 2005). This is linked to expectations of those who are sending
the message and those who are receiving the message.

Interference: There are many kinds of interference (also called “noise”) that inhibit effective
communication. Interference may include poor audio quality or too much sound, poor image
quality, too much or too little light, attention, etc.

Those involved in the communication process move fluidly between each of these eight elements
until the process ends.

Characteristics of communication:

Communication has the following characteristics:

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 - It is Unavoidable: Every creature in this earth communicates whether this communication
was verbal or non-verbal, it is impossible not to communicate, since we communicate
unintentionally all the time, even without using words: Our body language, the way we
dress, the way we eat or drink, our behavior and the physical environment in which we
work, all convey certain messages to others.

- It is a Two-way Exchange of Information: Communication is sharing of information

between two or more persons, with continuous feedback.

- It is a Process: Each message is part of a process and does not occur in isolation. This means
that the meaning attached to a message depends on what has happened before and on the
present context. For example, your boss‘s response to your request for a promotion will
depend on your past relationship with him, as well as his mood at that particular moment.

- It involves a Sender and a Receiver of Information: Any communication starts with a sender
of a message and requires a receiver to attach some meaning to that message.

- It could be Verbal or Non-verbal: Communication could be through the use of words in

spoken or written form, or through the use of body language such as gestures and facial
expressions.

Types of communication :

Communication may be divided into two areas: verbal and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication: We communicate most of our ideas to others through verbal

messages, i.e., through spoken or written messages. Communication through words, provides the
opportunity for personal contact and two-way flow of information. A large part of our
communication, whether at work or outside, is verbal in nature. Verbal communication in turn, may
be divided into two areas: oral and written communication:

Oral communication may be defined as a process where a speaker interacts verbally with
one or more listeners. In a business context it can take the form of meetings, presentations, one-to-
one meetings, and so on.

Written communication is a process where a writer interacts verbally with a receiver.

Written communication at the workplace can take several forms such as letters, memos, circulars,
notices, reports and email.
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 Non-verbal communication: on the other hand may be defined as communication without
words. It refers to any way of meanings without the use of verbal language. Unlike verbal
communication, non-verbal communication is generally unintentional. We unknowingly send
signals and messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture
and the way we dress, are all part of non-verbal communication.  

Communication establishes relationships and makes organizing possible. Every message has
a purpose or objective. The sender intends -- consciously or unconsciously -- to accomplish
something by communicating. Communication is the process by which a message or information is
exchanged from a sender to a receiver and thus from a generation to the next.

Communication and Cultural Diversity:

Culture and communication, are two different concepts, but directly linked. Communication as
we seen above is the process of sharing each other’s ideas and feelings, it is the basis of all human
contact, while culture is learned, transmitted, and preserved through communication. The essential
way to live in societies and to maintain one’s culture is by communicating.

The relationship between communication and culture is a very complex and intimate one.
Cultures are created through communication; that is, communication is the means of human
interaction through which cultural characteristics are created and shared. It is not so much that
individuals set out to create a culture when they interact in relationships, groups, organizations, or
societies, but rather that cultures are a natural product of social interaction. Hymes (1974) has
proposed an ethnographic framework which takes into account the various factors that are involved
in speaking. In other words, cultures are the “residue” of social communication. Without
communication and communication media, it would be impossible to preserve and pass along
cultural characteristics from one generation to another. We can say, that culture is created, shaped,
transmitted, and learned through communication. The reverse is also the case; that is;
communication practices are largely created, shaped, and transmitted by culture.

2.3.  Cultural diversity:

Diversity issues are now considered important and are projected to become even more
important in the future due to increasing differences in the population of many countries.
People are divided by several factitious categories and partitions, such as identity politics, it
is a fact that people are full of diversity in terms of gender, social class, ethnicity, race, language,
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abilities and disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, needs, nationality, political ideology,
citizenship status, family composition, cultural background, income, occupation, etc. (Banks 2008b;
Lin and Jackson 2019a). The human condition has itself become multicultural and interactive.
For example, over 500 groups which the group population is more than 100,000 are
commonly identified as ethnic groups across the world. Nearly about 5000 to 8000 distinct
languages are spoken today (Evans and Levinson 2009). There are more than 4300 religions around
the world, though over 70% of the world’s population practices one of the five most influential
religions of the world: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
This situation promotes the reflection from institutions, scholars, and the public on how to
bring people together and cooperate to solve the problems that all human beings are facing.
Cultural diversity brings both opportunities and challenges to the achievement of this goal.
Although many noble terms (e.g., equity and social justice) in relation to cultural diversity have
been widely used and adopted in policies across the world as a politically correct way to deal with
cultural diversity and people from different backgrounds, many cultures and people are still on the
margin of society due to historical injustices, prejudices, fears, and misunderstandings.
In order to bring all people from different cultures and background together, and build peace
and stability among societies, it is important to understand and respect those culture’s differences,
because if we don’t we we’ll be misunderstood or misinterpret. So cultural diversity have many
advantages. Firstly, it helps people or communities to live together in a harmony. Secondly, it helps
interact with each other. When people interact with each other; the interaction will bring peace and
happiness. The most successful interactions occur when nations from various backgrounds share
experiences.
When we learn about other cultures we learn how the people behave, how they
communicate, how they think and act, and what they like or dislike. We avoid misunderstanding
different nations. In some countries there are many different nations that live without any conflicts.
Various cultures is a richness of communities, it is a color of different nations.
Cultural diversity’s due must be conducive to peace within countries, between regions, and
throughout the world (Stenou, 2004). Stenou also claims that cultural diversity can conduct peace
within countries, between regions, and throughout the world. Also cultural diversity means diversity
of thoughts, and where there’s several thoughts and perspective there’s a creativity and innovation
in all domains, helping to solve problems and meet customer needs in new and exciting ways.
James Lynch draws our attention to the fact that multiculturalism is a sensitive issue. He
claims that “ all societies have become multicultural, and it is vital to prevent social conflict through

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an education that fosters understanding and respect for cultural diversity, as well as communication
and cooperation between persons of different origins” (James Lynch, 1992, p. 169).
It is very significant to learn other nations` cultures. We need to learn how to communicate
with other nations, particularly nowadays, communicating with diverse communities from different
cultures means to strengthen democracy and active citizen participation, encourage respect for
human rights and cultural diversity and work on human capital development offers a solid
foundation for the improvement of living conditions (Xhavit Rexhaj, 2010, p.10).
Cultural diversity doesn’t just include differences in dress and language. It also encompasses
different ways of thinking, managing, and communicating. Diversity is a concept that counters
discrimination and embraces the inclusion of people with various experiences and backgrounds
such education, parental status, geographic location, language, and culture. Diversity is about
learning from others, providing support and respect to those with similar and different experiences.
That cultural diversity is a very important factor to be considered, offers the key to the
people. It is also important to clarify that learning about another culture does not necessarily mean
that one must internalize the norms of another culture and accept them. It only provides a channel to
learn how to manage the cross-cultural conflicts.

3. Culture and symbols:

3.1. An overview of symbols:

Before humans learned how to use language and words to express the ideas and activities in
their daily lives, people used different kinds of simple or complicated drawings to communicate
with each other. Meggs (2006, p. 4) address visual language as following: Throughout the world,
from Africa to North America to the islands of New Zealand, prehistoric people left numerous
petroglyphs (ancient or prehistoric drawing or painting on a rock wall), which are carved or
scratched signs or simple figures on rock. Many of the petroglyphs are pictographs, and some may
be ideographs, or symbols to represent ideas or concepts. There were many simple drawings
commonly recognized and used to represent certain things; this is how symbols were born.
Primitive man has left a record of himself in symbols he created ages before he learned to
write. He piles up sticks and stones to represent concepts for which he has not yet learned words, so
mankind built cairns and marked trees in its first efforts of self-expression. A newcomer in a world
in which all other creatures, and Nature herself, were his enemies, man soon enlisted his ability to
leave a record of himself in his fight for survival1.

1
Ernst Lehner, Symbols, signs and signets,2012
12
 This record became to the tribe a guide to good hunting and better living, a warning against
danger, and a chart of progress. The disc which represented the sun became, by association, the
source of warmth and life. Man’s rising ability to express himself quickly created a symbol for each
basic concept.
Because man felt so overwhelmed by what he sees and feels he found himself creating signs
and symbols that represented his daily life, his thoughts and believes, and also recording whatever
he did as a daily activities in his cavern’s walls. Symbols are important aspects of culture: people
use symbols to express their spirituality and the spiritual side of real events, and ideal interests are
derived from symbols. According to sociologists, symbols make up one of the five key elements of
culture, the others being language, values, beliefs, and norms . Some symbols are gained from
experience, while others are gained from culture. One of the most common cultural symbols is
language. For example, the letters of an alphabet symbolize the sounds of a specific spoken
language. Let’s take for example the Egyptian history; the civilization of ancient Egypt was
symbolically oriented to a degree rarely equaled by other cultures. It was through symbols that the
Egyptians represented and affirmed many of their ideas, religion, beliefs and attitudes regarding the
nature of life, death, the supernatural and reality. However, there is, a real danger in symbolic
interpretation: Symbols may have different meanings in different contexts and may change over
time. It is not that easy to impose our own ideas on those of the ancients. Symbols which would
have been easily read and clear to the Ancient Egyptians, may, in our time, elude us, or be
misinterpreted due to our own ideas.
So symbols change as the cultural context changes and as time goes by. This can be by
moving the symbol to a different culture through global media or travel or through changes in time
within the same culture. Additionally, the meaning behind the symbols is not always agreed upon
within a culture.
Anthropologists have argued that, through the course of their evolution, human beings
evolved a universal human capacity to classify experiences, and encode and communicate them
symbolically, such as with written language. Since these symbolic systems were learned and taught,
they began to develop independently of biological evolution (in other words, one human being can
learn a belief, value, or way of doing something from another, even if they are not biologically
related).

3.2. Linguistics diversity in Morocco :

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 Morocco is a land of vivid contrasts, a gateway to two continents, rich in history, full of
diverse traditions and customs, and also rich of fascinating culture.

Morocco is one of three countries that make up north Africa (Maghreb), geographically it is
the « Gateway to Africa » for western travelers and also the « Gateway of Europe » for many
Moroccans, and due to this strategic location (located in North Africa along two coastal lines: the
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea), various cultures over time had shaped Morocco,
ultimately contributed to its fabulous diversity and had a great impact on its linguistic and cultural
landscape.

Starting from original Moroccans known now as « the Berbers » also « Amazigh », to
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and finally the Arab conquest and Islamization (they had brought
with them the Arabic civilization and the Islamic religion); Morocco was under the rule of many
dynasties and many colonial countries (French, Spanish and Portuguese) and so this had a huge
impact on daily spoken language and also linguistics diversity.

The existing Moroccan linguistic situation is characterized by the presence of a variety of

languages.

First as we already said: Berber or Tamazight, it is the language of the indigenous

population of Morocco and has lived in North Africa since ancient time. In Morocco, as well as in
other countries of North Africa.

Although the word “Tamazight” is usually used to designate a single language, but in fact, it
covers a number of different dialects which are not entirely the same. In Morocco Tamazight is
used in reference to a particular variety of Berber, of which there are three dialects: Tarifit spoken
in Rif mountains of Northern Morocco, Tashelhit spoken in the South West of Morocco especially
in the Souss Valley, and Tamazight spoken in the Middle Atlas and the eastern half of the high
Atlas mountains.

In 2001 Tamazight was recognized as a national language and a main component of the
Moroccan culture, and declared as an official language of Morocco beside Arabic in 2011 as
proclaimed in Article 5 of Morocco‘s constitution (…Tamazight (Berber/Amazigh) constitute an
official language of the state, being common patrimony of all Moroccans without exception).2

Second is Arabic, it was introduced to Morocco in the seventh century during the Arab
invasion, and was adopted by Berbers as the language of Quran and the religion of Islam, there’s
2
Morocco’s constitution 2011, 5th article.
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also what is called Classical Arabic it is the written language used in religious settings such as
prayers, sermons, etc..

The Modern version of Classical Arabic, known as Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), it is
used in education, administration, television broadcasts, newspapers and magazines.

Arabic is the official language of the state of Morocco. But still, Moroccans do not speak
formal Arabic in their daily life, they speak a Moroccan Arabic called “Darija” it has mixed
influences. While its base is Arabic, Darija contains Amazigh, French, and Spanish: some words are
spelled exactly like other colonial countries for example the Darija word for cheese, is fromage  -
like French, and the Darija word for wheel  is rueda, week is semana  like Spanish.   

Darija is acquired by most Moroccans as their mother tongue and is the language of
everyday conversation in informal situations, and of popular and folkloric literature, which is
transmitted orally. It is the lingua franca used by all Arab and Berber speakers (Zouhir, 2013,
p.273).

Because of the variety and origins of Moroccan population, many variants of Moroccan
Arabic and dialects exist such as the Northern dialects spoken in the North of Morocco, the Fassi
dialect spoken in Fez, the Rabati in Rabat, and the Marrakeshi spoken in Marrakech, the Hassani
dialect spoken in the southern regions of Morocco, etc.

In addition to all these native languages we’ve said, three other foreign languages are added
to Moroccan repertory: French, Spanish, and English. Among these foreign languages, French
occupies a significant place because of its status as a second language in the education. During the
French occupation for 44 years from 1912 to 1956, French was imposed and instituted as the main
language of instruction at all levels of education, and Arabic as a foreign language. French
colonizers practiced a linguistic policy - based on what they perceived to be their “mission
civilisatrice”3 – spreading their language and values by educating Moroccans to believe in the
universality and superiority of the French culture and language, which they then imposed in the
cities and certain selected rural areas as ―the only language of civilization and advancement 4

The Spanish language had existed in Morocco time before the Spanish protectorate in 1916
when Spain established militarily in the North and temporarily occupied Tetouan in 1860, and

3
Ezzaki & Wagner,1992, p.216
4
Bourhis 1982, p.14
15
 continued seizing cities in the southern and Saharan coast until the Spanish protectorate was
declared for both north and south of Morocco in 1916. During the Spanish occupation, Spanish was
adopted as a language of administration and education in most Northern Morocco. After the
country‘s independence, Spanish becomes ―marginally used by the local population and it has
been in constant decline because of its absence in the unified educational system 5 . Even though the
Spanish language policy was the same as French in advancing their language and culture in
Morocco at the disadvantage of Arab culture and Islamic schools, it did not influence the linguistic
situation of Morocco as French did.

English language presence in Morocco goes back to the World War II when North Africa
harbored American air bases, it was taught as a second optional language next to Arabic during the
French protectorate. The use of English language over the French has increased significantly among
Moroccans in social and academic life. English nowadays is taught as a foreign language in high
schools, universities and used for academic and scientific research. Globalization has helped
English to become a global language in Morocco, and has helped it gain a significant place near
French, particularly in the fields of tourism, media, and finance. It is spoken not only by educated
Moroccans, but also by tourist guides, and handcrafts merchants in market places.

Also, opening the door towards foreign languages has lately been highlighted by the King
Mohamed VI in his speech of the 60th Anniversary of Revolution of the King and People in 2013.
He openly declared that ―Moroccans should, therefore, be encouraged to learn and master foreign
languages, in addition to the official languages.”By doing this, Moroccans ―would thus expand
their knowledge base, refine their skills and gain the competence needed to be able to work in
Morocco‘s new professions and areas of employment.” (King‘s speech, 2013)

The linguistics diversity in Moroccan sphere is a result of an extensive historical and cultural
change within the Moroccan society; it is viewed as a source of its enrichment and growth, but in
the other hand as a threat to the Moroccan language identity. Yet, Moroccan constitution had
recognized all local languages and all language identities within the country to preserve its identity
and culture; “A national Council of languages and of Moroccan culture is created, charged with [,]
notably [,] the protection and development of the Arabic and Tamazight languages and of diverse
Moroccan cultural expressions, which constitute one authentic patrimony and one source of
contemporary inspiration…” morocco’s constitution, 5th article, page5.

3.3. The symbolic nature of culture:

5
Benzakour, Gaadi, & Queflélec, 2000, p.71-72
16
 Symbols are the root of all culture; the two main ways of expressing or communicating in a
culture are through symbol and language. The symbol or object itself has no meaning but it can be
given meaning by a group of people who share the same values and want to communicate those
meanings to one another. Those who are not yet part of a culture may have a different view about
the same objects.

According to Max Weber a German sociologist, symbols are important aspects of culture:
“people use symbols to express their spirituality and the spiritual side of real events, and ideal
interests are derived from symbols. According to sociologists, symbols make up one of the five key
elements of culture, the others being language, values, beliefs, and norms”.

A symbol is something verbal or nonverbal within a particular language or culture that

comes to stand for something else. As we said before there is no obvious natural or necessary
connection between the symbol and what it symbolizes.

Culture is symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group's skills,

knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are learned and keep
existing in a society through its institutions. The anthropologist Leslie White defined culture as
“dependent upon symbolling… culture consists of tools, implements, utensils, clothing, ornaments,
customs, institutions, beliefs, rituals, games, works of art, language, etc”, For White culture
originated when early Human acquired the ability to use symbols.

Culture is symbolically coded that means that it can be taught from one person to another
which means also that culture can change. Also symbols are usually linguistic but there are also
nonverbal symbols such as flags that stand for countries. For hundreds of thousands of years,
humans have shared the abilities on which culture rests. These abilities are to learn, to think
symbolically to manipulate language and to use tools and other cultural products in organizing their
lives and coping with their environments. Every contemporary human population has the ability to
use symbols and thus to create and maintain culture. No other animal has elaborated cultural
abilities - to learn, to communicate and to store process and use information to the extent that
Human has.

According to sociologists, symbols make up one of the five key elements of culture, the other
key elements are: language, values, beliefs, and norms.

4. Cultural diversity, communication and symbolism in Morocco:

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 4.1. Symbols and language in human culture:

For the human mind, symbols usually are cultural representations of fact. Every culture has
its own set of symbols connected with different experiences, perceptions and awareness. Thus, as a
manifestation, a symbol’s meaning is actually neither instinctive nor automatic or computerized.
The culture’s members must interpret and after and over time reinterpret the symbol.6

Humans, are always trying -consciously or subconsciously-, to make sense of their world,
and symbols such as signs, words, gestures, objects, help them to understand that world, they
provide clues by giving recognizable meaning that are shared by societies. Those symbols have
different forms: verbal or nonverbal, written or unwritten. They can be anything that conveys a
meaning, like for example a words on a page, drawings, pictures, and gestures. Clothing, cars, and
other consumer items are also symbols that imply a certain level of social status. Some symbols are
worldwide recognized such as symbols that indicate an area for handicap people, symbols of
pharmacies, etc…

All societies have nonverbal symbols that we call gestures, movements of the hands, arms, or
other parts of the body that are meant to convey certain ideas or emotions. However, the same gesture
can mean one thing in one society and something quite different in another society (Axtell, 1998). As we
said before, some gestures are differently interpreted according to which culture the interpreter belongs,
and we gave the example with symbol of “OK” and we explained that when you make an “O” by putting
your thumb and forefinger together in US and some parts of Europe that means”OK”, but in Morocco it
has nothing to do with that meaning. And there are a lot of examples that demonstrate that gestures
(which

Language is a communication tool that is used in our daily life in order to communicate
information and arguments with others, that means that we can’t separate language from culture ,
because language is strogly influenced by culture, and also because language represents its nation, the
attitude and behavior of the one speaking a particular language. For example – and this is very common
– when some Moroccans start speaking English or French as a language in a professional context or
even in their daily lives, they start acting like French or English people they even adopt their behavior,
and idea and therefore their cultural identity.

Language is a part of huma culture, they are the two sides of the same coin, language is a
symbolic system through wich people communicate and culture is transmitted.

4.2. Cultural symbols and communication a Moroccan mindset:

6
Edward Arnold, 2002, page 32.
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 Morocco was exposed to many external influences, thanks to its geographical position,
overlooking Mediterranean and the Atlantic , it has been a part of historical events, and a center
point for crossing civilization, with all their sciences, cultures and arts.

Moroccan society is socially and linguistically diverse, and its cultural makeup is one of the
richest in the Maghreb.1 Different speech communities in Morocco attempt, in different ways, to
resist Westernisation by raising their cultural, ethnic, and linguistic awareness. To achieve this, the
use of language is paramount; it is well known that language loyalty and maintenance are possible
when favourable conditions prevail, namely, ethnic consciousness, size of the community, intra-
group communication, and a common religion. The fact that Arabic and Islam are closely related
favours the revival of Muslim values and cultural identity.

Although Morocco is a multilingual society, it should be pointed out that not all Moroccans are
multilingual. There are important differences among individuals as concerns their mastery of
languages and their ability to speak or write more than one language. In fact, there are individual
differences in language proficiency: the range is from monolingual Moroccan Arabic or Berber
speakers to those who can use written Arabic as well as one or two foreign languages for special
purposes or for everyday conversation.

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