Cultural differences concerning time

Claudia Acosta                                                                                                          5/17/17                                                                                 

Monochronic Culture vs Polychronic Culture

Definition

Monochronic: Some cultures are traditionally monochronic. The rules are based on a schedule already planned. Late arrivals are not accepted. In the USA we live in a monochronic culture in the cultural paradigms.

Polichronic: Most of the countries of the world live the polychronic culture. The rules are not based on a schedule since punctuality is not the most important. The family is first, human relationships and feeling is worth more than time.

My personal example in the Monochronic Culture

As you already know I am from Uruguay but I live in USA. It was only a couple of weeks ago that we arrived with my family in the USA. We attended the Church as every Sunday and one day we were invited to a church activity.

Following our "culture" of being late, we arrived at the activity 30 minutes later than the time the activity began. To our surprise, the activity was already in the middle and in 30 minutes more was finished.

Again we were invited to another activity and also went later than the hour that began, and again we took another surprise to see that the activity had begun at the indicated time.Therefore we realized that the Americans are very punctual, everything is planned and very organized so that everything is done in the time planned.

Generally in most of the Hispanic culture it is totally normal and acceptable to arrive late. When we are invited to a party, we plan to arrive later than the time the party starts because our thoughts are: "Let's go a little later, we will not be the first to arrive at the party." But someone always has to be the first to come to the party, right?

Our behavior and thinking is a cultural custom without demands on being punctual, and it is acceptable.

My personal example in the Polychronic Culture

After a few years of living in the USA I went to visit my family with my daughters but as a surprise for my family. No one imagined that I would visit them.

I arrived in Uruguay one Sunday early in the morning, it was a Sunday of testimonies and that day also my niece who was born would be blessed. That was the perfect Sunday since my whole family would be gathered in the same church for that special event.

The bishop of the ward was my friend from childhood and I was all the time in contact with him by letting him know of my plans.

We arrived in Uruguay at the planned time but it took me a long time to pick up all my luggage and it was already the time the sacrament meeting began. The bishop was in touch with me on the cell phone, so when I told him about my delay he decided to start the sacrament meeting 20 minutes later.

Finally we arrived at the sacramental when I was finishing the sacraments. I entered very quietly and sat down at the last bank, then the bishop stood up and said: "Now we are all, we are going to proceed to make the blessing of the baby." When we passed the moment of testimony, I surprised my family when I came to give my testimony and everyone saw me there. The reaction of my family and all their emotions are part of another story to tell.

Starting late the meeting happened as something without any kind of frustration or anger, no one was offended by what happened, everything happened as something normal that can happen at any time.

Conclusion

Personally I think that the differences of cultures concerning time have their pro and their counter.

The Monochronic culture is much more formal, organized, everything is very well established and generally everything goes as planned leaving a feeling of satisfaction.

The Polychronic culture is not adapted to the schedules but to the conditions, things are organized and planned and if there is any unforeseen, everything can be changed. As it explains its definition, the family, the human relations and the feeling is worth more than the time.

I think it is very important to adapt to the culture and situation of the place where we live and should also be part of the teaching for foreign students. People act by inertia, accustomed to following a formality of life that normally carries and if the custom is to be late, so will.

In this, it is important to educate people and in this case students. Just as each country has its rules and laws and must be respected, so the culture must be respected.

Some changes are not easy, but they can be achieved, this also depends on the will of each individual and the education that he receives in respect to the existing differences. Once we teach students these things, then they govern themselves, but with an acquired knowledge and not in the ignorance.

Again I feel that my shared readings end in something very true.

"Knowledge is power.”