2/03/21; Week 5: Response to Cultural Differences Concerning Time

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How Do Different Cultures Perceive Time?

Monochronic vs. Polychronic  




Have you ever been invited to a Brazilian party? If you haven't, I need to tell you two things?

First, it will be very fun, you will find a friendly environment and a lot of food. Second, it won't begin at the time scheduled. Now you can ask me "Why won't a super cool party begin on time? Well, this is because Brazil, as well as many other countries around the world, is a polychronic country. Professor John Ivers from the BYU-Idaho University mentions the words of the anthropologist Edward T. Hall to explain that cultures around the world can be divided by monochronic and polychronic. Professor Ivers explains that "in a polychronic world, they're [people] not ruled by the schedule.  They're ruled by relationships and family". Then Professor Ivers quotes Hall saying that monochronic time, "on the other hand, is oriented to tasks, schedules, and procedures.”

👇Below you can find some differences between these two concepts of time: 👇 


Living in a country that is considered polychronic, I can assure you that this totally makes sense. I see countless situations in which TIME is not taken too seriously, rules are not followed restrictively, people cherish a lot their loved ones, people who are not so close to each other have conversations about their personal issues, and so on.  

People here in Brazil are usually very concerned about pleasing one another. For example, a friend of mine doesn't want to denounce to the authorities that the gym she goes to every day hasn't followed some restrictions established by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. Guess why? She doesn't want to harm the owner who is a nice guy. That is how a polychronic people used to act. They take almost everything personally. The emotional part is very strong. Of course, we can't generalize and say that everyone acts like that, but for sure the majority of people do. In contrast, people from a monochronic culture used to have a more private life and they are more likely to put goals and results above people and feelings.

Each concept has its own advantages and disadvantages. Being aware of them can help us as TESOL teachers to understand different situations and the acts of our students. In my humble opinion, there is no right or wrong here. I think we just need to seek a balance where there are rules and feelings, order and a sense of community, concentration, and good relationships.  



What's your opinion? Share a comment below and let me learn from your perspective. 😊




References:

https://present5.com/culture-and-international-marketing-questions-1/ 

https://video.byui.edu/media/04+Cultural+differences+in+Concerning+TIME/0_1cjop6lc








Comentários

  1. Rosa Sepúlveda5 de fevereiro de 2021 às 00:28

    Hi, Larissa
    I also live in a polychronic country, but sometimes I have attitudes of monochronic people. For example, I like to respect the schedules and I don't like to waste time.
    I agree, balance is ideal, although it is a bit difficult to achieve.
    Nice post!!

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    Respostas
    1. Larissa Yopan5 de fevereiro de 2021 às 14:45

      Hi Rosa, Thank you for your comment!
      I agree...balance in this situation is almost impossible to achieve as a country, but maybe individually and as families it's possible.

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  2. Jake Buzan5 de fevereiro de 2021 às 00:50

    Oi, Larissa! Yes! A thousand times, yes! Not just parties. Everything in Brazil is late! It bugs the heck out of me because I dont like wasting time and time is precious to me. I like to spend time at home with family, not spending 4 hours at Caixa Econômica or at the line at Casas Lotericas! hahaha But like I said in my post, the bright side is that I am definitely more relaxed than I used to be. ( a little). I think you have to learn how to prioritize your time and if you live in a polychronic country, plan ahead. It used to annoy me to wait for hours at the bank, but after a while, you learn to adapt. Dont schedule anything for the rest of the day, take a book, or something. Adapt and survive. :)

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    Respostas
    1. Larissa Yopan5 de fevereiro de 2021 às 14:51

      😂😂😂 You made me laugh a lot here. Well, I can tell you that this is something about my own culture that I am not proud of. My husband and I are very monochronic in the aspect of setting time and schedules, but since we are surrounded by polychronic people this is something we have to deal with every day. 😅

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