10/17/2021; WEEK 5: RESPONSE TO CULTURE DIFFERENCES CONCERNING TIME

TIME CULTURE

For the past four years of my life, I thought my name was “Wala ka pa tapos?” As that was, my aunt used to always say to me first thing in the morning when they’d come to pick me up. My uncle’s a driver, and his tricycle has been my kind of alarm that it is already 6: 30 in the morning, and you bet he is so strict with the time. As he always says, his time is gold and his time is money. My classes would start at 7:15, but you’ll hear a loud beep outside our house by exactly 6:30 am, making me jump out of nervousness and go tremble to get my things. Most times, I’m not ready to go yet, but I drove myself to move quickly and jump off even without combing my hair or eating my breakfast. You see, my uncle values his time so much. So much that he gets pissed off if I’m making him wait even just for 5 minutes. I sometimes wonder why would you be in such haste when you can actually slow down your pace and take time to prepare.

In our everyday activities, we employ a variety of phrases that incorporate the word “time,” such as time is gold, time is money, this is a waste of time, one thing at a time, what time? Be on time, and a lot more. However, do we, on the other hand, all approach time in the same way? We must note that there are profound cultural differences in how people think about, measure, and use their time. In the given phrases, for example, are expressions commonly used by a Monochronic person. On the other hand, a polychronic person tends to say, “Oh, we still have time” or “I can do things at the same time,” and things like, “I’ll just do that tomorrow or later.” Now the question is, what even is Monochronic and Polychronic time?

The definition of being “on-time” is different depending on what time culture you are practicing, but in most cases, it also depends on which area of the world you are in. A Monochronic time approach emphasizes schedules, accurate timekeeping, and promptness. People observing this kind of culture are likely to end up making “to-do” lists, prioritizing tasks, setting objectives, making daily schedules, and scheduling appointments, among other things. Countries like United States, Israel, Germany, and Switzerland followed this Monochronic culture. Whereas, Polychronic time approach focuses on their relationships- It doesn’t matter what time you have arrived in a family dinner as long as you came. In this type of time culture, time moves with you; you’re not battling against the clock or wishing for more time. Countries like the Philippines, India, Egypt, Nigeria, and Spain observe this type of time culture.

Time may seem universal, but cultures around the world interpret it differently. For me, me being late seems to cause me the most trouble, not with school, but with my uncle. Perhaps my uncle is a Monochronic person. Or no, he really is one. While me? I am obviously the opposite of it. Thus, it is essential to understand others from a different perspective, too, to meet in the middle and have a better relationship with our teachers, classmates, or with our peers in general. Keep in mind that working across cultures also requires managing business and relationships when people’s attitudes on time are so fragmented. How about you? What is your time culture?