There are two different ways in which cultures around the world perceive time. A monochronic time system means that things are done one at a time and time is segmented into small precise units. Under this system, time is scheduled, arranged, and managed.
The United States considers itself a monochronic society, and the same happens with north European cultures such as Italy, Greece, Spain, England, and the Scandinavian countries. John Ivers, a professor of cultural paradigms at BYU-Idaho, states that "in the market sense, monochronic people consume time."
On the other hand, a polychronic time system is a system where several things can be done at once, a wider view of time is exhibited and time is perceived in large fluid sections. Examples of polychronic behaviors are typing while answering telephones, or taking notes while participating in meetings. Some polychronic cultures are Latin American, African, Arab, and Native American cultures. People that belong to these cultures are much less focused on the preciseness of accounting for time because they concentrate on tradition and relationships rather than on tasks.
When I had the opportunity to live in the United States, I remember that I was very surprised to see that meetings and classes started on time. Being from a Latin American country, I was used to meetings starting 10, 20 or even 30 minutes late. I also remember noticing how Americans talked about time, using terms like "spend" and "waste". In Spanish, time is not something we spend, is something we have.
These differences can affect the way we see students, and also affect how they see us as Teachers. It is important that as educators we respect and understand what every one of our students brings to our classroom. Understanding the values and assumptions a culture places on these temporal dimensions is essential to create policies that improve the quality of peoples’ lives.
How do you see time in your culture? Let me know in the comments!
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