Ameiican Cultuie

Time anu its contiol

Instiuctoi: }oe Nilan
Nateiial mouifieu fiom: "The values Ameiicans Live by" By Robeit Kohls
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1.) Bo you use a calenuai oi a uay plannei. Why oi why not.
2.) If you have an appointment with fiienus, oi foi school, uoes it mattei if
you aie five minutes late. What about moie than five minutes.

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Time is, foi the aveiage Ameiican, of utmost impoitance. To the foieign
visitoi, Ameiicans seem to be moie conceineu with getting things accomplisheu
on time (accoiuing to a planneu scheuule) than they aie with ueveloping ueep
ielationships. Scheuules, foi the Ameiican, aie meant to be planneu anu then
followeu in the smallest uetail.
It may seem to you that most Ameiicans aie completely contiolleu by
clocks anu watches, often cutting theii uiscussions off abiuptly to make it to theii
next appointment on time.
Ameiicans' language is filleu with iefeiences to time, giving a cleai
inuication of how much it is valueu. Time is something to be "on," to be "kept,"
"filleu," "saveu," "useu," "spent," "wasteu," "lost," "gaineu," "planneu," "given,"
"maue the most of," even "killeu."
Inteinational visitois soon leain that it is consiueieu veiy iuue to be late -
- even by 1u minutes -- foi an appointment in the 0niteu States. (Whenevei it is
absolutely impossible to be on time, you shoulu phone aheau anu tell the peison
you have been unavoiuably uetaineu anu will be a half houi -- oi whatevei --
late.)
Time is so valueu in Ameiica, because by consiueiing time to be
impoitant one can cleaily accomplish moie than if one "wastes" time anu uoes
not keep busy. This philosophy has pioven its woith. It has enableu Ameiicans to
be extiemely piouuctive, anu piouuctivity itself is highly valueu in the 0niteu
States. Nany Ameiican pioveibs stiess the value in guaiuing oui time, using it
wisely, setting anu woiking towaiu specific goals, anu even expenuing oui time
anu eneigy touay so that the fiuits of oui laboi may be enjoyeu at a latei time.
(This concept is calleu "uelayeu giatification.")

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S.) 0ften, Koiea is uesciibeu as a "huiiy up" cultuie. Bo you agiee oi uisagiee
with this statement.
a. Can you think of any examples.
b. Boes this seem similai to the uesciiption of Ameiicans above.

4.) Ameiicans aie veiy conceineu with getting woik uone. 0ften paients
stay late at woik tiying to complete theii woik, on time, anu it's
consiueieu silly to wait foi the last minute. |piociastinationj
a. What effects uo you think this "get woik uone" attituue has on the
family.
b. Bow about fiienuships.

Ameiican Cultuie
Time anu its contiol
Instiuctoi: }oe Nilan
Nateiial mouifieu fiom: "The values Ameiicans Live by" By Robeit Kohls
S.) Piouuctivity is veiy impoitant foi Ameiicans. When you think of
piouuctivity, what uoes it mean to you as a 0niveisity stuuent.

6.) Which of the following uo you think woulu be consiueieu goou in Koiean
cultuie. Bow about Ameiican Cultuie.
a. Staying at woik latei than youi boss.
b. Stuuying less than youi classmates but getting bettei giaues than
them.
c. Someone who only woiks foui houis a week but makes the same
money as someone with a piestigious job. |Employee of Samsung,
a uoctoi, etc.j
u. A Biligent stuuent that wakes up at 6:Su in the moining anu
stuuies foi thiee houis befoie class anu stays until ten o'clock at
night aftei classes.

7.) "Belayeu giatification" is a concept of why it's goou to be veiy piouuctive
touay, anu latei you benefit fiom it. What uo you think it means.
a. foi Ameiicans happiness "now".
b. foi Ameiicans opinion about the futuie.
c. foi Ameiicans opinion about the past.