Beyond the Orientalist myth of being seductive, mysterious, and dangerous, what is the reality of Tangier? Professor of anthropology Majid Hannoum deconstructs the invention of the Maghreb and delves into the complex socioeconomic and racial fabric of contemporary Moroccan cities. He explores how colonial legacies continue to shape identity, from the very term "Maghreb" – which he argues did not exist in pre-colonial Arabic historiography in its current sense – to the phenomenology of color that influences modern social hierarchies in Tangier.
Beyond the Orientalist myth of being seductive, mysterious, and dangerous, what is the reality of Tangier? Professor of anthropology Majid Hannoum deconstructs the invention of the Maghreb and delves into the complex socioeconomic and racial fabric of contemporary Moroccan cities. He explores how colonial legacies continue to shape identity, from the very term "Maghreb" – which he argues did not exist in pre-colonial Arabic historiography in its current sense – to the phenomenology of color that influences modern social hierarchies in Tangier.
00:00 Introduction
01:50 The Colonial and Post-Colonial Invention of the Maghreb
03:31 Neighborhood Politics and Class Dynamics in Meknes, Morocco
06:12 Historical Evolution of Maghreb in Arabic Historiography
09:17 Deconstructing Orientalist Myths and the Seductive Image of Tangier
12:47 Historical European Gazes
18:03 Tangier in Pre-Colonial Times
19:41 Tangier in Fiction, Songs, and Folktales
23:41 Exploring Migration, Sexuality, and the City’s Unseen Sides
25:59 Socioeconomic Realities
30:23 Migration Patterns and the Phenomenology of Color in Moroccan Urbanism
32:59 The Native Colonial Gaze and Socioeconomic Racialization
39:46 Decolonizing Ibn Khaldun & Challenging the Myth of European Discovery
43:24 Translation Ideology
50:43 Discourse Analysis and the Radical Critique of Academic Categories
53:40 Scholarly Recommendations for Unlearning and Decolonizing Knowledge
Majid Hannoum is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Kansas whose extensive research focuses on North Africa. Growing up in Meknes, Morocco, his personal history is rooted in the very urban and socioeconomic dynamics he explores in his academic work, such as the internal class and neighborhood hierarchies within Moroccan cities. His scholarship is deeply concerned with deconstructing colonial narratives and unlearning entrenched mindsets.
Connect with Majid Hannoum 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/majid-hannoum-04661ab/