On Monday, we discussed the difference between polychronic time (p-time) and monochronic time (m-time). M-time is what we have in the United States. Under this structure, time can be quantified and measured, almost like a tangible thing. People who view time this way are very schedule focused, dividing their day up into sections in which they focus all of their attention on one thing. They consider it rude to be late to an appointment, and therefore are more likely to leave an activity right in the middle of things if some other commitment overlaps. On the other hand, people who see the world through the lens of p-time feel that they can do multiple things at once. P-timers tend to be more people focused, and find it rude to break off in the middle of a conversation in order to go somewhere else. They do not view appointments and commitments as set in stone and will often be late. They do not see time as a tangible thing that can be spent and wasted. I think this classification of time systems makes a lot of sense, and I think it explains why there is so much conflict between different cultures that view time differently.
I am an m-timer. I rely heavily on a schedule to help me understand and plan my day and have taken a very long time to learn how to rearrange my schedule to make time for people when I feel there is something else that needs to be accomplished. I imagine that for the most part, South Africans are p-timers, and this difference has great potential to give rise to frustrations.
In his article, Hall says:
"By scheduling, we compartmentalize, this makes it possible to concentrate on one thing at a time, but it also reduces the context. Since scheduling by its very nature selects what will and will not be perceived and attended, and permits only a limited number of events within a given period, what gets scheduled constitutes a system for setting priorities of both people and functions."
"Some Americans associate schedules with reality, but M-time can alienate us from ourselves and form others by reducing context. It subtly influences how we think and perceive the world in segmented compartments. This is convenient in linear operations but disastrous in its effect on nonlinear creative tasks."
When I imagine my field study, I see it as linear, with a goal I am trying to accomplish waiting for me at the end. I think it is good to be goal oriented, however, this perspective is somewhat at odds with my whole purpose for going on a field study. The biggest reason I chose to go to South Africa is to practice cultural immersion and learn the process of coming to know a way of life and of thinking that is different than mine. As I am planning for my time there, I have to remember that it is good to set goals, but I have to keep my expectations flexible, because here in the United States, my plan is out of context. I cannot impose my time standards on the people I work with if my whole purpose is to learn how they think. I have to be willing to take time to get to know people and really learn about them and how they think, not just what they think. Once I do that, I will be better able to construct a plan that fits within the context instead of trying to smother it.
I think as a whole, this aspect of South Africa will be good for me. I gave a talk last semester about the gospel being entirely centered around people. I absolutely believe that to be true, but I think a lot of times, it is easy for us m-timers to forget that. We get so caught up in trying to accomplish good things because that is how our society has trained us to prioritize our time, that we forget to focus on better things, those things being our relationships with other people. In some ways, I think the "family, isn't it about time?" campaign is a plea for us to be willing to switch to p-time. Do I think we should be on p-time all the time? No, I absolutely do not. However, I think we need to be sensitive of these different perspectives as we work between cultures, and willing to accept the best parts of both and apply them to our own lives as needed.
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