Proxemics is the way people use space in communication or in various other situations. In a business or sports setting, managers can use space whichever they want. If an employee makes a mistake, the manager might be letting them know their errors at a close distance. Fiery head coaches like Bobby Knight would get up into his player’s face and yell at him. If it is a fellow employee, it would not be right to stand so close to him/her while providing an explanation. When meeting someone for the first time, it is common for many people to be a few feet from each other while having a conversation. Once you get to know him/her better, they become more comfortable in talking at a closer space. If I am looking for a seat in the movie theaters, I leave a space from strangers when sitting. When the theater is pretty crowded, I have no choice but to sit next to the unfamiliar person. It totally depends on the person’s job position, familiarity and situation.
Chronimics is how people use their time. In most cultures people are particular in being on time at a job or meeting. Obviously when people are late, the manager becomes disappointed. When someone makes a habit of it, a higher authority might fire you. If one is constantly late to class, the professor will dock your grade. For a small group meeting, it would be inconsiderate to be late all the time. Other members might now show it, but they would fell truly disappointed. Coming from a Chinese family, my parents are pretty lenient when it comes to time. They don’t really fret when someone is even half an hour late to a gathering. It is a chance to have a great time, so the essence of being on time is not a big deal. I usually call a group member 15-20 minutes before the meeting letting them know I will be late. Even when meeting friends, I use the same course of action.
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Ari,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and especially liked how you brought up how being on time in your Chinese family is not heavily stressed upon which is influenced by what is considered important in your culture. I’ve noticed that many of my Asian friends also do not place a heavy emphasis on being on time when we meet for social gatherings; however, I am the odd ball in that I am punctual, if not fifteen minutes early, for everything! No one is perfect and it is unreasonable to expect that everyone be on time for everything; but, when people are habitually late for everything, I do find it rude because time is valuable and something that you cannot gain once you have lost it.