Date Thesis Awarded

5-2020

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

International Relations

Advisor

Marcus Holmes

Committee Members

Sharan Grewal

Stephen Sheehi

Abstract

Constructivism in International Relations’ theory grapples with broader themes affecting how country’s make decisions and relate to each other. In this theory one of the largest categories also happens to be among the least understood: a nation’s identity. Hopf and Allan, in Making Identity Count, created a framework for studying a country’s identity as objectively as possible through both quantitative and qualitative research. They have yet to apply their methodology to less understood regions of the world, from an American perspective. This paper adapts their framework to study Moroccan identity in the years 1979 through 1990. To accomplish this, I analyze primary sources from each year to construct a map of how Moroccans described themselves and their nation in these years. By examining such sources as novels, films, speeches, songs, and newspapers, I create an identity map demonstrating the identities Moroccans perceived of themselves in these years. These conclusions can also be analyzed from the beginning of the decade to the end to see the largest changes. The identities discovered through discourse analysis are compared with U.S. Intelligence briefings of the time to analyze the how close they were to aligning with conclusions from this study. By examining a period of immense change in a region less understood by the world, I hope to improve upon the Hopf and Allan (2016) methodology. Conclusions imbue themselves to future research and the importance of understanding the mass perspective and identity in government policy.

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