I really loved our last class discussion. We talked about different aspects of culture, mainly the different ways that people deal with time. Monochronic time is very schedule and blocked out - every part of the day is compartmentalized. The United States runs mostly on monochromic time – you schedule times to go to the doctor, to see shows, to have lunch with your friends, to work on homework. I know that I do this, just take a look at my planner. I refer to my class schedule frequently and fill in all the blanks with homework, work, exercise, etc. Polychronic time places more emphasis on doing multiple things at once and the involvement of people. Appointments or schedules are not as important, rather whatever or whoever is the focus gets all the time. These two different concepts of time do not mix well. And yet we see them together quite often, like in our doctor appointment example. You have a set time to go to the doctor but usually wind up waiting several minutes to see him. This can be upsetting – you had a scheduled time, a monochronic view. When you finally do see the doctor you don’t want him or her to be stressed about staying on schedule, you want their full attention and care, a polychronic view.
After this class I thought about trying to change my life to polychronic time. Of course, it wouldn’t work because I am in a monochronic culture – I have a class schedule, a work schedule, homework and tests with assigned due dates and times. In order to fit everything that I have to do into one day, I have to “manage” my time. And thinking about it kind of depresses me. I wish that I could escape monochronic time. The whole discussion made me think of a story I saw on the wall of a restaurant. It’s called the Parable of the Mexican Fisherman and I liked it so much I’m just going to include it.
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
To me, this is the perfect example of a monochronic world clashing with a polychronic one. The Mexican fisherman is content to work as much as he has to and then spend his time with his friends and family. The American instantly creates this whole plan, or schedule, for him that would make every day more busy and “productive.” Unfortunately for me, I have to be monochronic in order to do the things I want to do, for example get good grades and earn enough money for this field study to South Africa. But I am looking forward to the time when maybe I can be a little more polychronic.
To relate this to my project – what is South African culture, polychronic or monochronic? If they are polychronic how will the affect my time there? If I understand polychronic time correctly, it means that it could be difficult to schedule and keep appointments with people, which could be challenging if I am trying to do interviews. But I kind of hope that it is polychronic, just so I can experience something new and see if I really would prefer it to the monochronic life I have been living.
No comments:
Post a Comment