Last post, we talked about the cultural paradigms (concepts embedded in our minds by our culture and that can vary from culture to culture), and how understanding their differences can impact positively our lives. Each culture is different, and not only in their language and gastronomy but also in behaviors and also morals. (If you missed it, check on here)
There is, however, another cultural difference that is worth mentioning. This is how we feel consider our time.
Although it may be hard to believe, time may vary from culture to culture. And I am not talking about Einstein’s theories or time travel machines.
What I meant was that our perception of time, and even how we spend it, can vary from one place to the other.
There are two distinct ways to “see” time, two ways that culture may divide into Monochronic and Polychronic.
(Just remember that they don’t precisely divide within each other, habits and beliefs of some way may mix with some of the other in any culture due to globalization and international interactions.)
Monochronic
Monochronic cultures view time as linear. That means that these cultures take schedules, punctuality, and chronograms very seriously. For them, time cannot be wasted, so schedules and agendas must be followed at risk. They would leave earlier and even cancel an appointment to not risk wasting their and your time.
These cultures also appreciate doing tasks (the old “to-do list”), and these tasks may come before relationships and other interactions.
Examples of this are Anglo-Saxon cultures, as U.S. and England, and some Asian cultures, like Japan.
Polychronic
In polychronic cultures, time is important but doesn’t need to be followed at risk as in the monochronic cultures. Time is more fluid and flexible, and it can be adjustable to meet our needs.
But don’t get it wrong, being more flexible doesn’t mean they don’t value time and tasks. They believe that relationships, like family and friends, and human interactions are more important than completing a to-do list. They may get late or even don’t show up in a scheduled event if that means prioritizing family and other relationships. It is ok to spend a little bit of time if it means not offending someone and making more connections.
These cultures also take tasks and activities more fluidly and can multitask. Some examples are Latin America, Mediterranean countries, and African countries.
Because of this tendency of prioritizing relationships over schedules, citizens from polychronic cultures may get misunderstood in monochronic environments (like a business and international meetings). They even might have problems with interactions with monochronic people in activity management or meeting schedule.
Based on their own cultural view, each one might evaluate others based on their own, and this may lead to conflicts. A monochronic worker might think his coworker is lazy and messy because he doesn’t show up on events on time. While his coworker, who is polychromic, maybe think he is too grumpy and a perfectionist. What is actually happening is that the first one is worried about not waste others’ time and the second is trying to maintain relationships and putting his relationships in the first place.
To better understand this, check these videos:
All of them have priorities, but we need to understand the differences to better interact with each other, especially in a classroom. Teachers should understand that not one way of seeing time is absolute, that students’ point of view may vary, and respect that. It doesn’t mean that a teacher will always accept late work, but that they will reach out to understand these concepts and will explain the rules to the students. Get to know them and let the rules and deadlines clear, including late penalties and excuses.
What we all need to understand is that there are good things in both cultures and that we might respect and understand the differences, as we adapt ourselves to better interact with others.
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