Time, Energy, and Money: Managing Family Resourcesaround”; the “circle of life”). Polychronic
cultures tend to view time as nonlinear;
thus, people in these cultures tend to savor
the experience of the event before moving
on to another event. Because time is more
fluid, matching specific activities with
specific time periods is not a priority. The
event is the priority. For example,
weddings scheduled for one or two o’clock
rarely start before five or six, when all the
guests have arrived.
Sidebar 10.1 illustrates how differences
in time perception can result in a clash
between cultures.
People use time as a way to communicate
with one another. How often have you heard
that someone is always“fashionably late”?
Others like to arrive early and“beat others to
the punch.”You might be a“night owl,”
while someone else is an“early bird.”These
are ways people use time as a statement of
identity. Making someone wait nervously for
an interview might be an exercise of time as
a statement of power.Arriving early for a
date could be interpreted as a statement of
attraction.
Our attitudes about time are both
innate and learned, and they affect how we
behave. Differing attitudes toward time can
have a profound impact on marriages and
families. Much of the friction between
spouses can be traced to different attitudes
toward time: as well, time issues can foster
friction between parents and their children.
Hochschild (2007) suggests there are twin
processes which exist—the pull toward
work and the pull towards the family. It is
in an emotional culture that this time
squeeze in families must be resolved or
conflict ensues, both between spouses and
between parents and children. This
conflict with time has real consequences.
It affects career attainment, children,SIDEBAR10.1
A Cultural Clash
Recently,a noted North American theologian and
Bible college professor was asked to give the
commencement address at a Bible college in the
Philippines.While he was in the country,he agreed
to preach at a local Filipino church on Sunday at 9
a.m. On Sunday morning, he was ready an hour
early and anxious to leave. His host told him that
he did not need to arrive until 9 because the doors
would still be locked. By 8:30, he was pacing the
floor, so his host agreed to take him to the church.
He arrived at 8:50,finding the doors still locked.At
9 someone arrived and unlocked the doors.At 9:15
the regular pastor arrived and greeted the visiting
professor. At the same time, the worship team
arrived and began to practice. By 9:30, they were
ready to start the service.
The frustrated professor left the Philippines,
wondering how the Filipino churches could put up
with such inefficiency.He was unable to grasp that
arriving on time for anything in the Philippines
was considered rude—your host might not be
ready and would be embarrassed by your punctual
arrival. Fifteen minutes to a couple of hours late,
depending on the event, was considered normal.
You were not considered to be late unless you
arrivedafteran event had started.
Since the Filipino culture is a contextual,
relational culture, the custom is to wait until
everyone is present before starting an event. Thus,
people are rarely late.
Source:Author’s personal experience