Awareness of Otherness between Religion and Utility: Moroccans’ Representations of Sub-Saharan African Migrants

Abstract

This article examines how religious affiliation informs the construction of social representations of “otherness” among a sample of Moroccans in relation to Sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco. Drawing on a Weberian theoretical framework that evokes the concepts of secularization, rationalization, and utilitarian action strategies, the article analyses fourteen semi-structured interviews conducted by Menassat for research and social studies as part of a qualitative study carried out in six Moroccan cities. The study finds that the principle of utility and the type of activities carried out by African immigrants in Morocco are the most influential factors in how the interviewees construct their representations of African immigrants. In this context, religion only serves a justificatory role in shaping these representations.