Time Pattern in America
A．Susan Anthony has an eight-to-five job with two 15-minute coffee breaks, a one-hour lunch break, scheduled appointments and weekly deadlines. Every time she enters and leaves her office building she "punches" the clock. Although she is not aware of it, her workday is strongly influenced by her culture’s attitudes toward time.
B．When travellers lack an awareness of how time is regulated in a foreign country, they can expect to feel somewhat confused. Since most people take time for granted, the effects of values, customs, and social manners on the use of time are seldom examined. A culture that values achievement and progress will discourage people from "wasting" time. Highly efficient business people from these cultures may feel frustrated in a country where work proceeds at a low pace. In religious societies, customs specify times of the day, week, or year for prayer and religious celebrations. If an individual tries to make an appointment during a sacred holiday, he or she could unknowingly offend a religious person. Social manners determine appropriate times for visits, meetings, and even phone calls. Arriving two hours late for an appointment may be acceptable in one culture, whereas in another, keeping someone waiting fif minutes may be considered rude.
C．Promptness is important in American business, academic and social settings. The importance of punctuality is taught to young children in school. Slow slips and the use of bells signal to the child that punctuality and time itself are to be respected. An amusing report of a schoolchild’s experience with time appeared in a recent newspaper article: As a child, my mother used to tell me how crucial it was to be at school when the first bell rang. Preparation for my "on-time" appearance began the night before. I was directed to go to bed early so I could wake up wide-eyed at 7 a.m. with enough time to get ready. Although I usually managed to watch my share of TV cartoons, I knew that in one hour I had to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, comb my hair, and be on my way to school or I would be violating an important rule of Mum’s, the school’s, or of the world’s. It was hard to tell which.
D．People who keep appointments are considered dependable. If people are late to job interviews, appointments, or classes, they are often viewed as unreliable and irresponsible. In the business world, "time is money" and companies may fine their executives for slowness to business meetings. Of course, it is not always possible to be punctual. Social and business etiquette also provides rules for late ar. Calling on the telephone if one is going to be more than a few minutes late for scheduled appointments is considered polite and is often expected. Keeping a date or a friend waiting beyond ten to twenty minutes is considered rude. On the other hand, arriving thirty minutes late to some parties is acceptable.
E．Respecting deadlines is also important in academic and professional circles. It is expected that deadlines for class assignments or business reports will be met. Students who hand in assignments late may be surprised to find that the professor will lower their grades or even refuse to grade their work. Whether it is a question of arriving on time or of meeting a deadline, people are culturally conditioned to regulate time.
F．Time is "tangible (有形资产)": one can "gain time", "spend time", "waste time", "save time", or even "kill time"! Common questions in American English reveal this concrete quality as though time were a possession. "Do you have time Can you make some time for this How much free time do you have" The treatment of time as a possession influences the way time is carefully divided.
G．Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and may be uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. In businesses the careful scheduling of time and the separation of activities are common practices. Appointment calendars are printed with 15-, 30-, and 60-minute time slots. A 2:30-3:00 interview may end in time for a brief break before 3:15-4:00 meeting. The idea that "there is a time and place for everything" extends to American social life. Visitors who "drop by" without prior notice may interrupt their host’s personal time. Thus, calling friends on the telephone before visiting them is generally preferred to visitors’ "dropping by". To accommodate other people’s schedules, Americans make business plans and social engagements several days or weeks in advance.
H．Cultures tend to favour either a past, present, or future orientation with regard to time. A future orientation, including a preference for change, is characteristic of American culture. The society encourages people to look to the future rather than to the past. Technological, social and artistic trends change rapidly and affect people’s lifestyles and the relationships. Given this inclination toward change, it is not surprising that tradition plays a limited role in the American culture. Those who try to support traditional patterns of living or thought may be seen as rigid or "old-fashioned". In a society where change is so rapid, it is not uncommon for every generation to experience a "generation gap". Sometimes parents struggle to understand the values of their children. Even religious institutions have had to adapt to contemporary needs of their followers. Folk singers in church services, women religious leaders, slang versions of the Bible, all reflect attempts made by traditional institutions to "keep up with the times".
I．High rates of change, particularly in areas, have contributed to a focus on the future rather than the past or present. Some Americans believe that the benefits of the future orientation are achievement and progress which enable them to have a high standard of living. Others believe that high blood pressure and stomach ulcers are the results of such a lifestyle. As individuals in a culture, we all have an intuitive (直觉的) understanding about how time is regulated. Usually we do not think about the concept of time until we interact with others who have a different time orientation. Although individuals from any two cultures may view time similarly, we often sense that in another culture, life seems to proceed either at a slower or faster pace. Knowing how time is regulated, divided and perceived can provide valuable insights into individuals and their cultures.
Time Pattern in AmericaIn America, the way time is divided is affected by people’s treatment of time as their possession.