The culture le shame

The culture of shame

Honor and dignity, the most prized possessions in the Moroccan culture. And we Moroccans will go out of our way to preserve them because we don’t want to lose face and be humiliated in front of other people bringing shame to ourselves and to our families.

What is called shame in other parts of the world is called “hchouma” in Morocco.

So what is hchouma you may ask well it is simply anything that is socially wrong and culturally unacceptable. Generally, everything that falls in the category of behavior outside the social norms is referred to as Hshuma. Offensive words or acts, swearing, anything forbidden by society or more precisely by Islam, lack of respect towards parents, elders or women.

There are things that may be accepted in other societies but are a big hchouma here in morocco.

For example, any mixed gender friendship, putting your parents in a nursing home or not praying.

But there are also things that should be hchouma but are considered normal like cutting someone in line or child marriage.

Overall, we can see that shame culture in Morocco is externally focused it is centralized around the way others in the society see you, and many Moroccans will say or do things publicly that makes them look good or helps them avoid embarrassment or awkwardness. Even though all the negativity that this shame culture brings the society in morocco is relatively in a constant process of evolution to become modern and tolerant of new beliefs.

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