African time

African time (or Africa time) is a colloquial term used to describe a perceived cultural tendency, in most parts of Africa, toward a more relaxed attitude to time. This is sometimes used in a pejorative sense, about tardiness in appointments, meetings and events.^[1] The term is also sometimes used to describe the more leisurely, relaxed and less rigorously scheduled lifestyle found in African countries, especially as opposed to the more clock-bound pace of daily life in Western countries.^[2] As such it is similar to time orientations in some other non-Western culture regions.

Aspects of African time

African cultures are often described as "polychronic,"^[3][4] which means basically that people tend to manage more than one thing at a time rather than in a strict sequence. Personal interactions and relationships are also managed in this way (such that it is not uncommon, for instance, to have more than one simultaneous conversation^[5]). Perhaps for this reason, an African "emotional time consciousness" has been suggested in contrast with Western "mechanical time consciousness" as a way of understanding African time.^[6]

Therefore, what appears to be a simple lack of punctuality or a lax attitude about time in Africa, may actually reflect (at least in large part) a different approach and set of priorities in managing tasks, events, and interactions.^{[citation needed]}

Being kept waiting, which may be perceived by an outsider as another example of African time, may, depending on the context, actually be a statement of relative status by the person keeping others waiting (which is not uncommon in various cultures).^{[citation needed]}

Reactions to time orientation in Africa

Self-criticism

The concept of African time has become a key topic of self-criticism in modern Africa. According to one Ghanaian writer,

In October 2007, an Ivorian campaign against African time, backed by President Laurent Gbagbo, received international media attention when an event called "Punctuality Night" was held in Abidjan to recognize business people and government workers for regularly being on time. The slogan of the campaign is "'African time' is killing Africa - let's fight it." Reuters reported that "organizers hope to heighten awareness of how missed appointments, meetings or even late buses cut productivity in a region where languid tardiness is the norm." It was remarked that this year's winner, legal adviser Narcisse Aka—who received a $60,000 villa in recognition of his punctuality—"is so unusually good at being punctual that his colleagues call him 'Mr White Man's Time'".^[8]

Popular culture

The contrast between African time and Western time is illustrated in the award-winning short film Binta and the Great Idea. The protagonist of the film, a fisherman in a small village in Senegal, can't understand the new ideas brought back from Europe by his friend; these are symbolized by a Swiss wristwatch, which rings at various times to the delight of the friend, but for no apparent reason. The fisherman is shown making his way through the various ranks of officials with his idea, which in the end is a sharp criticism of Western culture's obsession with efficiency and progress.

See also

Look up just now in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Procrastination
• Punctuality
• Slow Movement
• Time management
• Colored People's Time
• Chronemics
• Polychronicity

References

• CNN.com