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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Sexuality
Vol. 6:2 (2017) ► pp.292–319

The French language, gender, and the discursive construction of sexuality in Morocco

 | Manhattan College, Riverdale, New York, USA
This study looks at the evolution of the discourse of sexuality in the Moroccan women’s magazine Femmes Du Maroc [Women of Morocco] from 1997 to 2014 (Femmes du Maroc 1997–2014), specifically how sexuality is discursively constructed by Moroccans and how this discourse has changed over time. The results show that sexual topics have become more visible on the covers of the magazine and that women’s sexual language has shifted from a timid, euphemistic discourse around the medical aspects of sex to a more assertive expression of women’s sexuality emphasizing playfulness and pleasure.
Keywords: sexuality, gender, Morocco, identity, French
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Language, gender, sexuality, and the sociolinguistic context of Morocco
  • 3.Talking about sex and the concept of hchouma
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Findings and discussion
    • 5.1References to sexuality on the covers
    • 5.2Sexuality, euphemism, and censorship
    • 5.3The language of testimonies
    • 5.4Science explains sexuality
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
Published online: 16 October 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jls.6.2.04has
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