Culture Quote by Paul Bowles
““...he refused to consider the Moroccans' present culture, however decadent, an established fact, an existing thing. Instead, he seemed to believe that it was something accidentally left over from bygone centuries, now in a necessary state of transition, that the people needed temporary guidance in order to progress to some better condition.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Sheltering Sky, 1949
The author dismisses contemporary Moroccan culture, viewing it as a relic needing external guidance, reflecting colonial bias.
In simple terms: Ignoring local culture as outdated and needing outside help.
Key Takeaway
Respect and understand existing cultures.
Themes
culture
colonialism
bias
anthropology
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic research
- cross‑cultural work
- policy development
Key Concepts
cultural relativism
ethnocentrism
historical context
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we avoid imposing external narratives on cultures?
- What steps ensure genuine cultural respect?
A Different Perspective
Assuming cultures need external direction can perpetuate oppression.
![“If [Moroccans born in Holland] commit serious crimes - I believe we should strip them indeed of the Dutch nationality and send them back to Morocco as Morocco does.” quote by Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/86d/geert-wilders-1869_believe_if-moroccans-born-in-holland-commit-seri_1374365.jpg)
![“Abdellatif [Laâbi] was wildly popular with his students and it wasn't difficult to see why: like them, he knew that average Moroccans were hungry, jobless and desperate. They also knew they were ruled by a paranoid king who was more comfortable with Parisian financiers than his own subjects.” quote by Andre Naffis-Sahely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b63/andre-naffis-sahely-20813_average_abdellatif-la-bi-was-wildly-popular-with_1000659.jpg)
